Sky of Vengeance
by Jane Poirot
Summary: Sakaki, having survived his fall, raises his son to hate the Kushinada family. At age fifteen, he is sent to Jougamachi to earn the trust of the Kushinadas and lure them into his father's trap. But where do his loyalties ultimately lie?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine. I must be a masochist for writing this because I didn't even like the anime that much. Well, some parts are good in a "so bad it's good" kind of way, but overall it's just okay (trust me: from what I understand in the VN, the anime does not even come close in doing it justice, ESPECIALLY not in depicting Sakaki's grief). And yet this was a plot bunny that absolutely would not leave me alone. That, and because I liked Sakaki too much to be satisfied with him being hugged off a cliff.

Also, before I begin, just a few notes: First of all, should I write anymore VN-based OK fics, Sakaki's kid won't exist in that continuity, just this one. And second, while this is based on the anime and will follow certain anime continuity, I will also mix in some VN spoilers that were left out of the anime. If anyone wants a link to the topic on MyAnimeList containing OK VN spoilers, just PM me. And third, Sakaki is THE BEST DAD EVER.

* * *

><p>1<p>

The sunset was red as Shunichirou Sakaki walked down the familiar streets of his old hometown. Here, he could walk in broad daylight, his clothes not the least bit dry, without fear of anyone turning him over to the police. Back in Jougamachi, however, that would be a different matter.

He wasn't sure how far word would spread of his "death" back there. He knew they had a small, local newspaper that reported daily community events, occasionally things to happen outside of the town if the story were big enough, and particularly important events within the town itself. He also knew that this year's Hassaku festival would be big enough of an event to qualify, given the especially extraordinary circumstances of the Kamibito's secret being out in the open, and the events that ensued.

And he also knew that anything within that newspaper did not extend to outside of the town itself. Therefore, he would be perfectly safe.

Sakaki had not been sure if he would survive that fall or not. He had realized his revenge scheme was essentially going nowhere, and that he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and decided he might as well let Kaori drag him down into the waters below. The way he saw it, it would be a win-win situation: If he lived, he would escape Jougamachi to formulate a better revenge plot; if he died…then at least his misery would be over. He had felt slightly guilty in thinking the latter, as he still had a child to look after.

Even though he had never done such a good job of looking after it to begin with.

Sakaki shivered slightly as the winds began to set in. To his amazement, he had survived the fall into the waters below, very narrowly missing the sharp rocks at the bottom. He had wrenched himself free from Kaori's slackened grasp, and swam underwater for as long as he could hold his breath for. Finally, when it felt as though his lungs would burst if he stayed under one second longer, he took the risk and swam up to the surface. There were no witnesses, and so he had swam further up, forcing himself to continue even when his arms grew weary, until he had found ground low enough to climb up to. From there, he had run out of the city before he could be spotted, and took the next bus to his hometown.

And during all of this, he had never once stopped to change out of his wet clothes.

Sakaki let out a small sneeze, thinking, _Mother's going to get on my case about this. But better to let her think I dunked myself in a river thanks to another one of my wacky antics than for her to realize I just attempted to destroy a village, I suppose._

His house grew further in sight, and Sakaki felt a strong feeling of nostalgia. This was the place where he had grown up, the place where he had once viewed the world as a happy, bright place to live in…where monsters were only fictional creatures created to keep him from wandering out alone into the woods…where true love ended happily ever after…

Sakaki walked up the stone steps and knocked on the door lightly. If his time estimation were correct, the child should be down for a nap right about now. Or perhaps that had changed, and he hadn't been around to notice it, because of _her._

Nemuru Kushinada.

The very name itself made Sakaki clench his fists in rage. She had murdered his fiancée, Mieko Shinju, in cold blood and had expressed no guilt over it. She herself had said she _wanted _to be murdered for her actions.

So why couldn't he do it?

While Sakaki was contemplating this, the door opened. His mother gasped, "Junichi! What have you been _doing? _You're soaked to the _bone!_ Come in, come in, before you get pneumonia."

"Mother, I'm fine," muttered Sakaki as he stepped through the doorway. Of course, "Shunichirou Sakaki" was an alias he had used for the past two years, forsaking his real name, Junichi Mukata. Right now, this was coming into a practical usage: So that his crimes could not be traced back to _him;_ only to "Sakaki".

Sakaki's mother closed the door behind him. She used the dish towel she was holding to thoroughly dry off his face. "Mmph—mother—"

"Before you do anything else," said his mother, "go change into dryer clothes, even if it's your pyjamas. I don't want Sora to become an orphan."

Sora…

"Speaking of which," said Sakaki just as his mother had finished drying him off, "how is he?"

"Sora has been sick with a stomach bug since this morning," said his mother. To Sakaki's displeasure, she then proceeded to dry him off behind his ears, ignoring his protests. "I took him to the doctor. He said it was nothing serious, and to just let him rest and give him plenty of fluids, which I have been doing. He fell asleep a few hours ago. He might be up around now. You can see him _after_ you've changed."

"You can't die just from getting wet," muttered Sakaki. He had only begun to take a few steps forward before he heard his mother say the inevitable: "That's what your father said!"

Sakaki let out a sigh and walked to his bedroom. Even in the months leading up to him going to university, his mother had insisted on babying him, such as making him breakfast every morning in spite of his protests that he could make something quick himself, or just pick something up to eat. Then again, given that his cooking skills weren't really at their best, perhaps it was for the best that he had someone else prepare his meals for him. Mieko had been the one to teach him how to cook properly for himself. If it hadn't been for Mieko, he probably would've either starved to death, or succumbed to food poisoning.

If it hadn't been for Mieko…Sora would've never been born.

Sakaki opened the door and closed it behind him. He walked over to the dressers to pick out what to wear. As he did so, he did some further reflection on Mieko, and on Sora. Sora had not been planned. He had been the result of a passionate night between Sakaki and Mieko, a night where the condom that he had always, _always_ been extra careful with accidentally broke, a fact that neither had noticed until it was too late. In spite of his assurance that it was just the one time and that nothing would come out of it, he would eventually be proven wrong when he paid Mieko a surprise visit at her apartment three weeks later, only to find her crying in the bathroom with three positive pregnancy tests lying on the counter.

Pyjamas…yes, his limbs were weary from swimming for miles, and then walking for hours. He might as well turn in for the night. Sakaki laid out his pyjamas and began to peel off his wet clothes, continuing to think about his reaction to the news at the time. He could only apologize over and over, having never done so much apologizing in his life as he had to Mieko that day. Once again, he had tried soothing her with false assurance that maybe the tests were wrong; once again, this was struck down when they went to the doctor and had the news confirmed.

The couple had spent the rest of the day discussing what to do about the baby, and what to tell their parents. After some long, thought felt consideration, they had agreed to have the baby and raise it together. They would wait until Mieko was in her second trimester before telling anyone, just in case something went wrong. The next two months that followed had been filled with hormonal mood swings, morning sickness in the middle of lectures, and anxiety.

On the day Mieko had begun to grow a very small bump, and on the day the doctor had said everything was going just as it should, the two had called up Mieko's parents, and Sakaki's mother, and invited them over for dinner where they broke the news. It had gone over surprisingly well, at least for the mothers'; Mieko's father had looked like he wanted to _murder_ him. Her mother had given Mieko a hug, and his mother had burst into tears. Afterwards, things went surprisingly smoothly. Their professors were understanding of their situation, and had offered their support. He began to bring in more income from his job, and was confident nothing would go wrong now.

Ah…the warm, fuzzy pyjamas felt so comforting already. Sakaki rolled up a sleeve to look down at the injury on his arm. If his mother were to see it and ask about it, he would claim he injured himself cooking, which would be a believable enough excuse.

It had been during Mieko's fifth month that she came up with a name for the baby:

"Sora."

"Sora? Why Sora?"

She had smiled. "Because one of my favourite memories is when we confessed our love to each other for the first time under a beautiful evening _sky._ We can give the name to a boy or a girl."

Secretly, he had hoped it would be a boy. He was certain he would understand a boy better than a girl. He had thought that if he ever became a father only once, he'd rather have a son.

When he told Mieko this, she had told him that she was certain he would love the baby no matter what they turned out to be.

Sakaki realized just how _tired_ he felt, and decided to sit on the bed for a moment before going to see Sora. He sat down, and continued to think about Mieko's pregnancy. Shortly after discussing the name, he had realized how much Mieko really meant to him. He had no doubt that he loved her, but as he sat with her that day and discussed baby names while they went shopping for tiny, tiny shoes fit for a doll's foot, he found himself able to envision a future of him, Mieko, and little Sora as a family. He could imagine the day when Mieko would burst into tears to have to send Sora off for his or her first day of school, when they would attend Sora's Three-Five-Seven ceremony together, sending Sora off to university, and growing old together with Mieko.

And besides, Mieko's father already despised him for soiling his little girl's innocence, so he might as well do the right thing.

These thoughts combined together were what pushed him to use what little money he had left to buy the cheapest yet most beautiful ring he could find, take Mieko for a walk through the forest (to the same cliff he had made his grand escape on, _oh_ the irony), and propose to her. She had cried for nearly five minutes before choking out, _"Yes!"_

Yes, everything had seemed to go wonderfully. Sora arrived on March 26, 1979, safe, healthy, and beautiful. Their first few months of parenthood went by beautifully, and all too quickly. They had been certain that there was nothing that could go wrong for either of them.

Until one day when Mieko stopped contacting him and Sora. And then…and then…

Sakaki clenched his fist at the memory. Bastards…_bastards…!_

He unclenched it as he thought with a sigh about what a terrible father he had been. Even he had to admit it to himself. Mieko's death had left him dead inside, and as such, he could barely get up to the sound of Sora's cries as they reminded him too much of the memories of him and Mieko getting up together.

He had only ever gotten up for Sora a few times, thinking about how his image of a perfect family had been destroyed, and how he could never be happy again after this. Eventually, he fell on alcohol to cope. If it hadn't been for his mother dropping by for a surprise visit when Sora was seven months old, what would have become of him? Sakaki preferred not to think about that.

At the time, he had felt relieved for his mother to walk in on him passed out drunk while Sora wailed and wailed for someone to feed him, for her to gain full custody of Sora and raise him herself. Soon, however, he began to ache for those old days of him, Mieko, and Sora. Part of him wanted to make amends and try again at raising Sora, yet another part cried for vengeance.

The longer Sakaki lay on the bed, the more he began to think about his failed revenge, and the more foolish he felt for all the mistakes he had made. What had come over him when he didn't kill Kasai? Why hadn't he guarded the control panel—oh right, because he had realized his mistake of not killing Kasai too late; pursuit had been inevitable. But even so, why hadn't he at least _destroyed_ the panel?

And most importantly, why. Couldn't. He. Just. _Shoot?_

"I'm such an idiot," groaned Sakaki, rolling over on his side. Had his desire for revenge blinded him into overlooking such _obvious_ details? Did a ball fall out of the sky and hit him over the head when he wasn't looking?

Or was he getting _soft?_

Damn.

He couldn't think like that.

Not when he had gone so far and yet missed so much.

Well…now what? In spite of his momentary stupidity, Sakaki was smart enough to know that it would be suicide to go back. They'd probably be scouring the river for his body right now. If he were to show up _now,_ or within the next few weeks, they'd have him arrested on the spot.

And if he were to wait for a certain period of time before going back…who was he kidding? They'd remember his face and realize how they had been duped into thinking he was dead.

This left him with the option of staying here, lying low, and trying to reconcile with Sora. But how could he just go on when he had failed so badly? He only had half of his reason for being alive right here in this house. As long as he couldn't obtain the other half, then what use was it all?

_Revenge for Mieko? Or fatherhood for Sora?_ Sakaki thought.

…. …._why not both?_

The small voice in the back of his head went off like a light bulb. Of course! Why hadn't he thought of that before? Why not raise Sora to hate the Kushinadas and all they stood for? When he was old enough—perhaps around fifteen or so—Sora could be sent to live with them, and then lure them right into the palm of Sakaki's hand.

And who would ever suspect the relation between them?

Sakaki laughed over the brilliance of his plan, then got up. First, he'd have to convince his mother that he was off the bottle for good and thus, he was fit to raise Sora himself. But for now, he'd continue to live here and help her raise Sora, then bring up the question. Just as long as he avoided falling back onto old habits, it was sure to work.

"Might as well check on Sora," muttered Sakaki as he left the bedroom. If his memory served him well from the last time he had been here, Sora's bedroom was Sakaki's old childhood bedroom.

He walked over to the halfway-open door and peered inside. Sure enough, there was little Sora curled up under the blankets of the futon, snoring softly, his black hair sweaty and tangled. Next to him lay a small bowl of half-eaten rice and a glass of water.

With a smile, Sakaki walked over and bent down. He lightly brushed his son's cheek with one finger. "Sora…"

Sora stirred, and began to open his eyes. His mother's eyes….

"Daddy?"

Sakaki lay down on the futon next to Sora and said gently, "Yes, daddy's here."

Sora blinked. "For good?"

"We'll see," said Sakaki. He smiled, but Sora did not return the smile. He could tell something was troubling him, and not just being sick earlier that day. "Is something on your mind, Sora?"

"Daddy," said Sora, "all the other kids at daycare have their mommies come pick them up. How come I don't have a mommy?"

Sakaki held Sora close. He tilted his head downwards to look into his son's bright, brown eyes. "When you were just a baby," he said, "a bad person took your mommy away from you. That made me very, very sad. And now that bad person is making _you_ feel sad, too. If your mommy were here right now, she would be reading you a bedtime story, or giving you a glass of warm milk. She would be here to watch you grow up from the young boy you are now into the man you will become." He closed his eyes. "But now she's gone."

He felt Sora snuggle against his chest. "I don't like that person," he said.

Sakaki opened his eyes. "Neither does daddy," he said. "In fact, I _hate_ people like that—people who take away the ones you love. You should hate that person, too. Promise me that when you are older you will get back at that bad person for taking away your mommy."

"How will I know when, daddy?" asked Sora. He yawned and rubbed his eyes with one hand. Seeing that his son was getting tired, Sakaki decided to be brief: "I will tell you when the day comes. For now, promise me that on that day, you will go after the bad person and make them pay for how they hurt us."

Before drifting off to sleep, Sora mumbled:

"I promise."


	2. Chapter 2

2

_April 1, 1994_

Sora was woken up by the vehicle hitting a speed bump. Light filtered the windows and shone into his eyes, causing him to squint. A bus was not the most comfortable place to sleep in, but his father had warned him about the dangers of hitch hiking.

As he had also warned him about the dangers of this town he was about to enter.

Sora yawned and stretched his arms. Though his mind was a bit fuzzy, he could still remember saying goodbye to his father one last time before leaving for the bus headed for the rural town of Jouga.

"I'll be in this apartment in Okinawa if you need to see me," he had said as he handed Sora his new address and phone number. "And here's my new number, but don't call too often or else they may get suspicious. Just remember: Do not trust _anyone_ in that city. They are _monsters."_

Sora looked out the muddy bus window. From what he could see, Jougamachi at least _looked_ normal. Or maybe that was just because the bus was passing by the various neighbourhoods in the blink of an eye and didn't give him enough time to form a real first impression of it. But even so, the houses looked like a mixture of traditional Japanese housing with a few modernized, Western houses in between, just like Sora's old neighbourhood.

"_Monsters can take on the form of humans, you know."_

Sora turned away and checked his wristwatch. 7:35. He'd arrive just in time for his first day of high school in Jougamachi.

* * *

><p>Sora straightened out his white uniform and took a look at himself in the bathroom mirror. He was a bit tall for his age, though not quite reaching his father's height. His dark bangs were starting to get a bit long but not too long. And he tried to make sure his brown eyes didn't betray his true intentions to avenge his mother's death.<p>

Although Sora never knew his mother, he had still heard many good things about her growing up—how she was a wonderful cook, how she knew so much about geology, and how she had been a sweet, gentle-natured woman who was mercilessly snatched away from Sora when he was still a baby.

Sora pulled out a small photograph of his mother from his pocket. He gulped back a growing lump in his throat at the sight of her lying back in the hospital bed holding a small, red infant, her eyes as bright as her smile. What would his life have been like now if she had lived? Would he have ever known her alleged softness or good-humoured nature? He remembered, and still treasured, the memories of his late grandmother, but a part of him had always longed to know what it felt like to have a mother.

Yet his father never married. Instead, he used every opportunity to remind Sora how his mother wasn't here, and could have been here, had it not been for "that bad person". He didn't even learn the name of "that bad person" until only a short while ago: Nemuru Kushinada. Nor did he learn that he was supposed to go _live_ with her until the time for high school application rolled around.

"But why?" Sora had asked. "She killed my mother. I want _nothing_ to do with her."

"Ah, but just think of what could come from it," his father had said. "This will be the perfect opportunity for you—for _us—_to take our revenge on her."

When Sora had asked what he meant, his father had gone on to explain the plan: Sora was to apply to Private Jouga Senior High School, then a man whom his father was acquainted with would make the proper arrangements in the town, explaining Sora's situation to the Kushinada's. The explanation would be that Sora was sent away from home to pursue a better education in Jougamachi, but his father had to stay behind in the city as he was needed at his job and didn't trust Sora to live on his own yet, and had heard great things about the Kushinada's including how they had upheld the family dignity in spite of the town's chaotic circumstances years ago.

After this, Sora was to take the bus to Jougamachi, start his first day of school, and be picked up by a friend of the Kushinada's, then be taken to the Kushinada household. From there, he was to spend the next month getting on the good side of Nemuru Kushinada and once he had gained her trust, he was to lure her into a specific area—which was to be discussed later—and then his father would kill her.

Sora hadn't thought the plan would actually _work,_ yet here he was just five minutes away from starting his first class. The more he thought about the mother he could've had, the stronger his resolve grew. Though he worried about any potential hitches, he chose not to let these worries cloud his thoughts as he splashed water on his face and then walked off to his first class.

* * *

><p>"<em>Goooood morning Jouga~!"<em> declared the muscular man with white hair at the front of the classroom. "I am Misaki Washiba, your homeroom teacher! And might I say, this is looking to be the mightiest, strongest class I've had in eleven years!"

Sora sat in his seat and blinked, not knowing if he was supposed to be amused or be very afraid.

"Ahahahahahaha!" laughed Washiu. "Look at you all! What's up with the nervous faces, eh? You there! In the front row!"

Washiu pointed directly at Sora, who squirmed in his seat and said, "Y, yes?"

"Do you have the skinship required to be a member of this class?" demanded Washiu.

"Sk—skinship?" squeaked Sora. The back of his neck grew warm at the sound of his classmates' laughter.

"Ahahahaha, no worries, no worries!" laughed Washiu. "Just remember—it's all about the muscleship."

He then went on to brief the class about what to expect for the first week while Sora took a good look at his surroundings. From what he had been told throughout his childhood, he had expected Jougamachi to look creepier, and for the citizens to look like obvious wolves in disguise. Yet he saw a perfectly normal school with normal-looking classmates.

Of course, there was still the chance that not all of them were human. They could still be monsters. But who were the humans and who were the monsters?

* * *

><p>At lunchtime, Sora sat alone by the window with his lunchbag while his classmates sat together and chatted. He ate his sandwich slowly and looked out the window. From what he could see, the rest of Jougamachi looked like a normal town. He remembered being told something about the "Old Town" and the "New Town"—something about the monsters using one as a means to lure humans here so they could increase their population?<p>

"U—um, excuse me."

"Eh?" Sora turned to see a blushing girl who looked around his age standing above him. Her black hair was pinned off her face, and she looked thin and frail. She chewed her bottom lip before asking, "Can I sit here?"

"Uh…sure, I guess," said Sora slowly. The girl pulled out a chair and sat next to him. "I'm new here," she explained as she took out her lunch bag. "My family moved here just a short while ago. I don't know anyone. Do you know anything about this school?"

"Uh…actually, I'm new, too," Sora confessed.

"Oh. Then, um, sorry I bugged you," the girl laughed nervously. She took out a milk carton last and said, "By the way, I'm Yuki Sohda."

"Um…Sora Shinju," said Sora, tapping his fingers on the desk. "Hey, Sohda-san…how long have you been here for?"

"A week and a half," said Yuki. The two youths sat in silence and ate their lunches slowly. Sora looked over at Yuki and noticed she had light freckles across her face, and a healthy tan in comparison to his pale skin. She looked over at him and he turned away, hoping she hadn't caught him staring.

He drank from his water bottle, feeling a refreshing chill spread down his throat and into the pit of his stomach. With a sigh, he placed the bottle back down on the desk. He began to pick up the bottle cap when he felt a pair of eyes prick into his neck. He turned to Yuki, who quickly went back to packing up her lunch, her face red.

"Um…Sohda-san," Sora began, wondering why he felt butterflies in his stomach, "during your week here, did you learn anything about the Kushinada's?"

"Not much," shrugged Yuki. "I just know that they're the ones in charge of everything that goes on in this town. I also know that there was some kind of incident eleven years ago that caused them to change some of the older laws, but that's about it. Sorry I can't help you."

"No, no, it's all right," said Sora. Then, "Um…do you know anyone who might know something?"

"I think Kotara-san might know something," said Yuki, pointing to a laughing boy surrounded by a large group of people. "He lives in the apartment next to mine, and his family's lived her longer than I have, so…" Then, "Shinju-san…um…do you…I mean…um…have you ever…uh…"

"What?" said Sora.

Yuki gulped and said, "Do you have a…um…."

"Had what?" said Sora.

Yuki's face reddened further and she muttered, "Forget about it." She gathered her things and went back to her seat. Sora wondered what was up with her, but shrugged and walked over to Kotara.

"…and just between us, I know I can beat our teacher at 'poof'!" declared Kotara. "I've been perfecting my skills for some time now."

Sora cleared his throat and said, "Ah…Kotara-san?"

Kotara turned to Sora and sighed, "Yes, what is it? You're new here, right?"

"Yes," said Sora, rubbing the back of his neck. "And, um…I was just wondering, uh, about the Kushinada family. Do you know anything about them?"

There was a sudden hush over the group surrounding Kotara. Kotara folded his arms and said, "Why do you want to know?"

"Oh, I'm, well…living with them…for a while," said Sora awkwardly. "You see, my dad works in the city and he wanted me to get a better education here, so I'm going with them. He heard a lot of good things about them, but I don't know what those good things were."

"Well, let me tell you one thing right off the bat," said Kotara, ticking off each finger. "Don't piss off the family matriarch—she's a real softy now, but my father says that underneath she's still tough as nails. Don't break any of the new laws she set up 'cuz I hear she went through hell and back just to get them set up at all. If it weren't for her, we'd still be getting our guts sliced open."

"_Shush!"_ hissed one of the students.

"What, she's not _here,_ is she?" shrugged Kotara. "Anyway, I've never been to the place myself, but I hear she married this one guy who gave the village a whole lot of problems, but now that he's one of us he's not such a problem anymore."

"What do you mean 'one of us'?" asked Sora.

"You ask too many questions," sighed Kotara. "Keep that up and you won't make a lot of friends around here. What's your name, anyway?"

"Sora Shinju," said Sora, shuffling his feet.

Kotara stretched out a hand. "Kenji Kotara."

Sora took Kotara's hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you," he said.

"Eh, I guess it's nice meeting you, too," shrugged Kotara. "Just don't ask so many questions."

* * *

><p>As the day wore on, Sora could hardly concentrate in class. He thought back to Yuki and Kotara. Were either of them monsters? What had Kotara meant when he was going on about slicing guts open? And what was Yuki about to ask him before—<p>

The dismissal bell rang, startling Sora into jumping up from his seat. The other students laughed and Washiu said, "Now, now, don't look so eager to go! Class is dismissed!"

Sora sighed and slung his bag over his shoulder. He began to walk out of the classroom and headed for the entrance, where he was to meet with his new escort. As he walked further, Kotara ran up next to him and said, "Oi, Shinju-san. Sorry about lunch. What do you say I show you around town for a bit?"

Sora shook his head. "Sorry, but I'm meeting up with someone who will take me to the Kushinada's. I'll see you tomorrow, Kotara-san."

He walked at a brisker pace and looked straight ahead, barely acknowledging Kotara's brief, "Uh…sure. See you."

_I can't get close to anyone,_ Sora reminded himself. _That's right, I just have to remember what father told me: Don't talk to anyone about my mother's death, don't get close to anyone, and especially don't have personal conversations with the Kushinada's, or it could soften me up. And my mother would be disappointed in me if I couldn't carry out our revenge._

He stopped at the front in time for a woman with short, light brown hair to open the door and say, "Are you Sora Shinju?"

"Yes, that's me," said Sora, straightening out his bag strap.

"Good," said the woman with a smile. "I was told to come pick you up here. I'm Isuzu Miki." She shook Sora's hand and said, "The car is just outside. My son's waiting in the back."

The two of them stepped outside. Sora took one last look at the school building before following the woman to his final destination.


	3. Chapter 3

3

As the ride began, Sora looked into the bright, brown eyes of the small boy who sat next to him. The boy smiled, and Sora smiled back, hoping he was hiding his nervousness.

"Hello," said the boy. "I'm Makoto. Nice to meet you!"

"Ah, likewise," said Sora, shifting in his seat. Then, "So, Makoto-chan…do you, or your mother, know anything about the Kushinada's?"

"Actually," said Isuzu from the front, "I'm good friends with the family head. She and I go back to our childhood together." She sighed, "Ah, those were such good days indeed…and then, as we grew older, we had our share of problems. But in the end, we pulled through, and we're still good friends to this day." She laughed, "I also used to have a crush on her husband. I was nearly devastated when the two confessed their feelings for each other and I accidentally overheard it, but with time, my wounds healed, and I met another fantastic man whom I married and had my little Makoto with."

She smiled at Makoto, then turned her attention back to the road. "What about you, Makoto-chan?" said Sora. "Have you ever been over to the Kushinada's yourself?"

"Yep," said Makoto, swinging his feet back and forth against the seat. "It's _this_ big," he stretched his arms big enough to fit a balloon in between, "and it has all these servants and—and all these halls and…um…oh yeah, Master Nemuru is this really, really nice lady who lets me have tea and stuff and she's teaching me how to fold paper cranes. Can you fold paper cranes?"

"Not really," said Sora, wondering how such a heartless murderer could gain the absolute admiration of a small child. Was she really that charismatic? Did she commend such power that no one spoke of her past misdeeds? Or was Makoto simply too young to know what happened?

"The Kushinada estate is this large villa," Isuzu explained, "and there are normally a lot of servants around, some of whom I think are related to Nemuru-chan herself. But it's just she and the family who actually live there, and it's Nemuru-chan alone who takes care of personal family matters. Her father died a couple years ago, so now she's in charge of everything in this town."

"_Everything?"_ said Sora. "Incredible."

"I know, isn't it?" laughed Isuzu. "She was just about to turn seventeen when her father died. It was during that time that she was still in the process of trying to pass new laws and eradicate some of the old laws through the neighbourhood association and the neighbourhood council. From what she told me, she was having a slightly easier time with the latter than with the former. You see, Jouga is divided into two towns: The "old town" and the "new town". The old town is where Jouga's older residents live. The new town was created when the emigration rate rose in 1965 to make room for the newer residents. The Kushinada's live in the old town."

Sora looked out the window. While a handful of houses looked slightly more modernized, there were others that leaped right out of an old novel about the beginning of the Showa period. "The neighbourhood association represents the old town and is a lot more conservative," Isuzu went on. "So they weren't very happy by most of Nemuru-chan's suggestions. She went through a _lot_ of hard work, and it took around six years before the harsher old laws were gone completely, and even that didn't go without protest."

"What were the old laws?" asked Sora.

Isuzu suddenly became very quiet. Sora turned to Makoto, and noticed that he had stopped kicking his feet and was twiddling with this thumbs. "That is something you will have to talk to Nemuru-chan about later," said Isuzu. "It is not something we discuss here."

* * *

><p>Sora tried not to be overwhelmed at the sight of the estate before him as he stepped out of the car. He stood before the giant arch and said, "So, uh…this is it?"<p>

"Yes," said Isuzu as she got out of the car at the same time Makoto did. "Would you mind if we came in with you?"

Sora shook his head as he walked up the stone path towards the giant doors, unable to shake off a feeling of perpetual doom.

When he reached the door, he knocked lightly and waited for half a minute before the door slowly opened. In the doorway stood a young girl with glasses and purple pigtails, blinking at the stranger who stood before her.

"Ah, hello," said Sora, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm Sora Shinju. I'm here to stay with Nemuru Kushinada?"

The girl continued to blink and stare.

"You know, uh…the kid who was sent to stay here for a while?" said Sora.

The longer the girl stared, the more Sora wondered if this girl was even human.

"Is Nemuru Kushinada your mother?" asked Sora. "Is she around?"

Just when he thought he'd be unable to bear the silence any longer, Makoto ran past him and said, "Haruka-chan! You remember me, right? This is a friend of mine!"

"Ah, I wouldn't know about 'friend', ahaha," Sora laughed nervously.

Haruka blinked once more, then smiled slightly. With a small bow of her head, she opened the door the rest of the way and stepped back, gesturing for them to come in.

"Haruka-chan's a bit shy around people she doesn't know," Isuzu explained as she followed behind Sora and Makoto. "She'll warm up to you eventually."

Inside, the corridors were the most traditional Sora had seen. He hadn't gone over to a lot of peoples' houses when he was young, but the few he had gone to were somewhat Westernized with only a few traditional Japanese elements to them. He remembered feeling a bit let down by this as he wanted to see what an actual old-fashioned Japanese house looked like apart from what he had seen in magazines or on TV. The house he had grown up fell somewhere between the middle—while it had more traditional aspects to it than most houses did, it also had some Western elements to it as well.

But as he walked down the corridors, Sora had to briefly stop to admire the various sliding doors, panelled walls, and matted floors. Despite the identity of the person who lived here, his tensed-up muscles began to relax and he smiled a bit.

Haruka ran ahead of them and into an open room. She stepped out and gestured for the three to stay, then ran back in and called out:

"Mama! Papa! Our guest is here!"

Her voice sounded soft and sweet, yet squeaky. After a few seconds, a man with dark hair and glasses came out holding Haruka's hand, Haruka herself hiding behind him.

"Ah, I assume you're the husband?" said Sora.

"Yes," nodded the man with a smile. "I am Hiroshi Kushinada." He gestured to the room. "My wife will be out in a moment. We've just been getting caught up on old times with a friend of ours."

"Hiroshi-san," said Isuzu, "would it be too much of a burden if Makoto and I came in as well?" She turned to Sora. "You can come in, too, if you like, Sora-kun."

"Um, maybe," said Sora. As Isuzu and Makoto walked into the room together, Sora looked down and realized he had forgotten to take off his shoes. He bent down and took each shoe off, muttering, "Sorry."

"It's all right, I sometimes forget, too," said Hiroshi with a wave of his hand. "I used to forget all the time when I was little."

"Still, it's rude," muttered Sora. Now in his socks, he stood up straight and said, "I'll try to be more thoughtful from now on."

"Think nothing of it," said Hiroshi. Haruka clung to her father's leg tightly and Hiroshi said, "Now Haruka, what's the matter?"

Haruka looked up at Hiroshi, then pointed over to Makoto, then looked back up at him. "As soon as we go inside, okay?" he said gently. He turned back to Sora and said, "If you'll excuse us—ah, here she is now!" he exclaimed. "I'll give you two a moment." He took Haruka into the room, leaving Sora to stand alone.

Sora held his breath. This was it. This was the moment where he would look into the eyes of the woman who had killed his mother. After this, there was no turning back now.

As a woman began to emerge, Sora anticipated the pure hatred he was certain he would feel upon the sight of the woman who had taken away his happiness, and his father's happiness, in the blink of an eye and showed no remorse over it.

But as she came into full view, to Sora's great surprise, he felt…nothing. Not hate, not love, not indifference…nothing. Instead of seeing the black hearted demon whom his father had spoken of many times, he saw a woman with purple hair in a high-knot bun, a few loose strands framing her face, wearing a scarlet kimono.

She looked…normal. Almost even pretty.

Sora saw no trace of malice within her eyes; rather, a look of surprise briefly flew through them, and Sora began to worry if his cover was blown until she relaxed, bowed, and said:

"Hello. You must be Sora Shinju."

"Yes, that's me," said Sora awkwardly. He cleared his throat and said, "And you must be Nemuru Kushinada."

Nemuru stood upright. "Yes, that is me," she said. Then, "Do you wish to come in? I was just talking with an old friend of mine."

"Ah…" Sora hesitated, his father's advice about not getting close to anyone flying through his head once more. "Sure, I guess."

* * *

><p>Isuzu and Makoto left after a while, but the other friend stayed over for dinner. This friend was a woman named Kaname Asagiri. From what he had learned of her thus far, she, like Nemuru, had kept her surname after marriage; unlike Hiroshi, her husband didn't have to change his surname for her. Kaname was a cheerful woman who loved mysteries and spouted many urban legends of Jouga before dinner. Apart from this, Sora didn't know much else, nor had he cared to notice; he had spent the entire time sitting and going over his homework assignments.<p>

Now, as he sat down for dinner, he noticed something he hadn't given a second thought to before but the significance of it struck him now: Kaname had a bulging stomach. It wasn't _large,_ but it was big enough to stand out quite a bit.

"Um," said Sora as dinner was served, "Asagiri-san…is it all right if I ask you about…?"

"About my baby?" said Kaname. With a smile, she rubbed her belly and said, "I'm due in August, only a month before Mana-chan's wedding."

"Mana is my sister," Hiroshi explained as he took a sip of the soup. "She lives in the new town with her fiancée right now." He let out a melancholic sigh. "I was reluctant to leave home at first. I had even asked Mana to come with me, but she insisted she'd be fine without me. I stopped by every week to check on her and wouldn't you know it, she no longer needs me for anything."

"Why would she need you at all?" asked Sora.

"Well…she's in a wheelchair," admitted Hiroshi. "She was paralyzed in an accident and used to need my help. And now, she's learned to do so much on her own. I guess she's always had the capability to not need me around—I just never let her show it."

Sora lifted the spoon to his lips, lightly blew across the hot broth, and slid the salty, spicy mixture of broth, noodles, and vegetables into his mouth.

"Haruka," said Nemuru, "why don't you tell our guest about what you're doing in school lately?"

Haruka looked over at Sora, then back at her soup.

"Please forgive her," said Nemuru with a small bow. "She's shy around strangers."

"Yeah, I noticed," remarked Sora. He quickly added, "Sorry."

"So Sora-kun," said Kaname, "what was your old school like?"

"Oh, it was okay, I guess," said Sora. He took another spoonful and gulp before saying, "I didn't make a lot of friends. I focused a lot on my studies."

"That's good," said Nemuru. "Although I think you should make some time to make friends."

"How was your first day of high school?" asked Hiroshi.

"It was okay," said Sora, lazily stirring his spoon in the soup.

"Does Washiu still teach there?" asked Hiroshi.

"Yeah, he's my teacher," said Sora, forming pictures out of the leftover noodles and vegetables.

"Did you make any friends?" asked Hiroshi.

"Some people were nice, I guess," said Sora, sliding his spoon between the top and the bottom of the bowl. "I don't know, I guess I still need some time adjusting."

He took a few more sips and ate slowly. He wondered if he was supposed to think of Hiroshi as an enemy, too; after all, he was married to Nemuru Kushinada, and guilt by association, right? Except…he had a sister. He was a person with a family. Just like how Nemuru Kushinada once had a father, just like Sora.

Just when he thought he could no longer bear the thick silence, Kaname stood up and said, "Well, I'll be off. My husband will be waiting for me at home." She smiled at Sora and said, "Good evening, Sora-kun. It was a pleasure to meet you."

"You too, Asagiri-san," said Sora. After Kaname left, he turned to Nemuru and said, "May I please be excused?"

"Yes," said Nemuru.

Sora bowed and said, "Thank you for the meal," then shot up to his feet and left.

Nemuru turned to Hiroshi and said, "Hiroshi…did you get any kind of feeling from Sora just now?"

"Well, he seems a bit anxious, but he's all right," shrugged Hiroshi. "Why do you ask?"

Nemuru stroked her chin and said, "Because there's something about Sora that feels…familiar. Very, very familiar."

* * *

><p>With the door slid shut and the room being a few feet away from the dining room, Sora hoped that no one could hear him on the phone. He was grateful to have at least one room with a private telephone in it, but hoped to find more.<p>

Sora concluded his recap of his first day in Jougamachi with:

"…and you know, it's kind of strange, but these people almost seem…normal. Like, the husband has this sister who's in a wheelchair and—"

"Sora." The stern voice of his father cut him off. "Don't be fooled by their appearances. They're monsters in human's clothing. And Nemuru Kushinada is the worst monster of the lot. You can't let yourself be softened after you've come so far. If you allow your first impressions to cloud your judgement, you won't be able to take your revenge for your mother when the time comes. And if you can't do that, then you are disrespecting her memory."

Sora imagined his mother's sad face next to him and said, "I'm sorry, father. It was just a temporary moment of weakness."

"Don't let it happen again," warned his father. "Oh, and one more thing: If you should ever decide to take revenge yourself and use an accomplice for it, _don't_ stab them, gloat about how you tricked them, and then leave them alive to warn someone else of your plans."

"Why would I do _that?"_ said Sora. "You know I'm not stupid."

There was a brief pause before his father laughed, "Ahahaha, you're right!...Uh, bye."

Sora hung up the phone and muttered, "Well, father, it looks like I'll at least have an interesting stay with the Kushinada's."


	4. Chapter 4

4

The first two weeks passed by uneventfully. With his father's advice ringing in the back of his head, Sora kept his distance from the rest of the family while also remaining on polite terms with each of them. He was careful not to say anything rude, or anything that would give him away. He would call up his father to let him know how everything was going and would end each conversation with:

"When do we strike?"

To which his father would reply:

"Just wait."

* * *

><p>At the start of the third week, Sora went to the library to finish the remainders of his homework. Today, the library was filled with only a few students other than himself. He recognized a few from his class, including Kotara and Yuki, but the rest looked to be from other classrooms. Kotara was flipping through the pages of a book but didn't look like he was actually reading it. Yuki was chewing on her pencil, making her look somewhat cute.<p>

_Should I go over to them and say hi?_ Sora thought. _Or should I keep doing my homework?...Hmm, I guess I don't have _too _much left to do…_

_No. I can't get close to anyone._

"Oi, Shinju-san!"

Kotara waved at Sora and called out, "Why don't you come join us?"

"I'll be okay," said Sora, gathering his pencils, textbook, and notebook. "I was just leaving."

"So stay for a while and chat," said Kotara, leaning back in his chair.

"Maybe later, okay?" said Sora. He began to turn to leave, then looked back at Kotara and Yuki. _Maybe just a few minutes with them won't hurt,_ he thought, and he walked over to their table.

"So, uh…what did you want to talk about?" asked Sora.

"Not much," shrugged Kotara. "Just thought it might be nice to make a new buddy."

Yuki tapped her pencil on the desk and seemed to be looking anywhere but Sora's eyes.

"So, uh, Sohda-san," Sora said, "what do you think of Asagiri-san? Too bad she went on maternity leave, huh?"

"Yeah, she was nice, I guess," said Yuki. Whenever Sora tried to meet her eyes, she'd turn away and her cheeks would flush bright pink.

"What are you reading, Kotara-san?" asked Sora.

"This?" Kotara lifted up the book, which was titled: "Gods and Kamibito". "Oh, it's nothing; I just took it out to read. You know about us Kamibito, right?"

"_Kamibito?"_ said Sora. He leaned across the desk and said, "What exactly are "Kamibito"?"

"We're more or less the same as you, we just have a mutated gland," said Kotara with a shrug. He closed the book and slid it over to Sora.

Sora picked up the red book and ran his fingers across the indented, golden title. Below the title was the name of the author: Masaaki Kuzumi. He looked up and said, "Kotara-san…um…are you…?"

"Yep, I'm a Kamibito," said Kotara with a shrug. "Sohda-san is a human—or an _Ochibito,_ like you."

"Ochi…bito…?"

"It just means human," said Kotara. He let out a lazy sigh and said, "If you haven't learned anything about us already, then it's about time you should. You wouldn't want to be surprised after all, eheheh!"

Sora opened up the book and thought, _Are these the 'monsters' father spoke of? I guess it wouldn't hurt to take a look._

He flipped through various pages to take in just a small bit of information about them. _Jacobson's organ…mutated olfactory bulb…intoxicating scent…Hassaku…short lifespan…_

_What am I doing? Would father be happy if he saw me doing this? What about mother?_

Sora closed the book and said, "Thank you, Kotara-san. But I really must be going now."

"Wait," said Yuki, standing up, "Shinju-san, I've been meaning to ask…" She bit her lip and muttered something too quiet for Sora to hear.

"Eh? What was that?" said Sora.

"Do…do you have…a girlfriend?" Yuki asked slowly. She looked away, her face as red as the book's cover.

Surprised, Sora said, "No, not at all. I don't really have time for a girlfriend, actually. Why do you ask?"

"It…it's nothing, forget about it," said Yuki quickly, taking her seat.

Sora slung his bag over his shoulders and left thinking, _Girls are weird._

* * *

><p>As Sora walked down the streets and through the cool, breezy wind, he thought back to what little he had skimmed through in that book. Should he have read it further? Would it have helped him in his quest? Or would it have only distracted him?<p>

_Kamibito…hmm, I'll have to ask father about it,_ thought Sora as he stepped over a small puddle. _Mutated olfactory bulb, huh? Could that be what makes them act like monsters?_

He looked around the vacant streets tinged by the red sky. During these past three weeks, he had yet to see any sign of these alleged "monsters". If they were pretending to be humans, how was he supposed to know the difference? If Kotara were one of these "monsters", he had never shown any sign of it. But why would he admit to it as though he were talking about any other of his attributes?

Sora began to turn around the corner.

A cold hand clasped his shoulder.

Sora gasped and spun around. In front of him stood one of his schoolmates, though not a classmate. It was a boy a little shorter than him with messy hair. He wore a smile that was somehow…discomforting. Adding to that was a lustful look in his eyes, one that made Sora take a step back.

"I've seen you around school a few times," said the boy, not letting go. "And you know…you smell…_delicious."_ He licked his lips and the corners of his mouth turned up further.

… … _Kamibito?_

"_Identifying these monsters can be tricky, but there is one thing that sets them apart from humans: They have a much stronger sense of smell. To any other human, you would smell normal; to these monsters, you smell like fresh prey."_

Sora yanked the boy's hand off and began to run, wishing he had tried harder in his Phys Ed classes.

But no matter how much he tried to force his legs to move faster, it wasn't enough. He could hear the rapid footsteps of the boy approaching.

Already, Sora could feel the urge to stop to catch his breath, but he forced himself to keep moving.

"_If these monsters kiss you, you will become one of them."_

"D—damn it!" panted Sora as he ran towards the bridge. Suddenly, he stepped on a stray shoelace and the world flew before him in an array of colours, and he felt his face smack hard against the cement.

Then he felt a heavy weight press on top of him.

A pair of hands spun him around until he has on his back.

The red eyes…

The drooling lips...approaching closer…closer…

_Whack._

The boy was thrust off of him and onto the ground. Sora barely registered what was happening around him; he could only lie on the ground and shake as he heard a sharp voice scolding someone, a meek apology, and the sound of footsteps.

"Are you okay?"

Sora blinked and realized Nemuru Kushinada was standing above him, stretching out a hand.

"Y, yes," breathed Sora as he took Nemuru's hand and slowly stood up. "Thank you."

"Come," said Nemuru, "let's walk home together."

The two began to walk down the streets leading to Nemuru's home in silence. Sora wondered what he was supposed to say, and whether he should tell his father of this incident at all, until Nemuru spoke:

"I'm sorry. I should've told you about the Kamibito as soon as you arrived."

"N, no, it's okay," said Sora, still shaking. "You can tell me when we get home."

"For now," said Nemuru, "I'll tell you about the very basics: We have an extra growth in the olfactory bulb that gives us a heightened sense of smell, specifically towards humans such as yourself. It's a very sweet scent to the Kamibito, and for some, it can be intoxicating. It robs us of our reason, and in some tragic cases, our sanity. In the old times, the Kamibito enforced strict laws to keep people with this impulse under control. Today, many of those laws are non-existent, and have been replaced with more progressive laws. Those who go berserk and attack humans are to be immediately taken to the center and be evaluated to see if they will attack again. If this proves to be the case, they are locked up indefinitely."

They stopped at a green traffic light. "My uncle researched the disease and worked to make it public knowledge, at the cost of his life," said Nemuru. Her voice had a slight emotional strain as she spoke: "He sacrificed so much for the sake of the Kamibito being able to co-exist with the humans in harmony. He left behind an amount of valuable research and in the months following his death, a vaccine was developed to temporarily help the Kamibito live with their disease. It will still take some time before one to cure us entirely is developed, however. But it could happen within your life time."

The light turned red. Nemuru waited for the cars to slow down before she and Sora walked across. They had reached the other side when Nemuru said, "Sora-kun…tell me about your family."

Sora hesitated. Then, he decided to at least be semi-honest:

"My parents never married. I mean, they were going to get married, but my mother died when I was a baby."

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Nemuru. She had a far-off look in her eyes. "My own mother died when I was very young. I have only a few memories of her."

Sora felt an awkward, uneasy wave wash over him as he thought of Nemuru Kushinada, his mother's killer, as someone who once had a mother herself. She also had a father, just like Sora, had she not? And now she was a mother, too, with a husband.

Almost like a person.

Nemuru caught Sora off-guard with another question:

"What about your father?"

"Ah…well, it's kind of awkward," laughed Sora, tugging at his shoulder strap. "I'm not very close with my father at all."

"I figured as much," said Nemuru as they walked past a barren Hassaku tree. "I understand that your father has important business matters in the city, but I have to wonder why he would send you into an unfamiliar town alone. Did you have any say in the matter?"

"Oh, of course I did!" said Sora quickly. "He just wants me to have the best education, and he heard this town's high school was one of the best."

"Hmm…when you put it like that, I suppose I understand," said Nemuru, though the look in her eyes was doubtful.

The two did not talk for the rest of the walk home, leaving Sora to wonder about the nature of the "monsters" in this town, and the nature of the "monster" he walked beside.


	5. Chapter 5

5

The following Sunday brought sunny, clear weather. It was so nice out that Hiroshi planned on taking Haruka out with Isuzu and Makoto down to a riverbed at the foot of the mountains (while Nemuru went out with Kaname to the Jouga shopping centre in the new town), a plan that Sora _tried_ not to show any interest in whatsoever.

Yet as he sat and pretended to do a piece of homework he had completed yesterday, he couldn't block out the sounds of eager feet pit-patting across the floor outside his room, the adult voices greeting one another with enthusiasm, or his inner voice warning him not to do anything that would make his father being drowned out by another voice encouraging him to use this opportunity to further put his enemies at ease.

Sora tapped his pencil against the paper and thought back to the last time his father had taken him anywhere and _hadn't_ used the opportunity to remind him of his dead mother. He vaguely remembered his grandmother taking him out for ice cream or to the beach when he was very young, but she had been much happier. Even when she fell so terribly ill, she still kept a smile on her face.

He remembered one of the last few things she had said to him, only a few days before her illness took her last breath:

"Please take care of your father. Make him smile again."

The door slid open, startling Sora. In the doorway stood Hiroshi, who had a duffel bag slung over his left shoulder. "Sora-kun," said Hiroshi, "would you like to go down to the river bed with us?"

Before Sora could think his response through, he said, "Sure, when are we leaving?"

"In a few minutes, just as soon as you're ready," said Hiroshi, adjusting the twisted duffel bag strap.

Sora closed his notebook and thought, _What father doesn't know won't hurt him._

* * *

><p>Sora did not have a pair of swimming trunks, so Hiroshi let him borrow one of his own. He was surprised at how easily they fit, given the two's difference in height. Yet he stood at the edge of the riverbed, watching Haruka and Makoto laugh and splash each other with water, wondering if this was going a bit too far. Part of him wanted to go in and wade in the water, yet the other part felt as though his father were spying on him somewhere nearby in a bush.<p>

"Sora-chan! Are you going to join us?" called out Makoto, waving his arms wildly.

"Uh…um…" Sora hesitated and looked over at Hiroshi and Isuzu, who were lying in propped-up sun chairs. Hiroshi said, "I'll join the kids in a minute. In the mean time, do you think you'd like to play with them for a while?"

Sora stuck one foot in the water. It was a bit icy though not unbearable. He stuck the next foot in and began to wade over to the two children, allowing the peaceful chill to spread through his limbs. The last time he and his grandmother had gone down to the beach together, the water had been a bit chillier than this, but once the clouds parted and the sun came out, it was a lot more bearable.

Even though his grandmother had found the water just as cold, she had still waded in up to her knees and played 'ball' with him, cheerfully recalling times of when Sora's father had gotten a bad sunburn from staying out all day to finish a sandcastle. Her tales seemed to speak of two different fathers, however—the one whom she told him about had once been a happy child who loved life.

The one whom Sora had grown up with almost never smiled and had nearly nothing good to say about his own life.

Sora had very, very few memories of his father visiting home when he was small—he remembered at least one occasion where he came by to drop off a birthday present, had a slice of cake, and then left—but strongly remembered the day his father had returned, and the promise he had made…or rather, the one he had agreed to.

"_Promise me that when you are older you will get back at that bad person for taking away your mommy."_

Sora looked over at the chatting Isuzu and Hiroshi, and back over at the two children splashing each other and laughing. He couldn't really judge them as "bad people", but what did he know? He waded over to Makoto and Haruka and called out, "Hey, can I join?"

"Sure!" giggled Makoto as he splashed Sora with an icy wave of water, startling Sora into tripping and falling on his bottom. As Makoto laughed and laughed, Sora realized even he had to laugh in spite of himself.

And it was then that he could finally remember one of very, very few occasions where his father had actually been _happy._ It was during his junior high school years…he remembered his school cultural festival and how he had played a minor role in a play with his classmates. The entire time, his palms had been sweaty and his stomach was jerking with each line he spoke, with every action he took.

And at the end of it, just when Sora had thought he was going to throw up, his father had come back stage and said:

"Good job, Sora."

And he had smiled.

And this memory helped Sora to smile, too, as he stood up on his feet and splashed the laughing young children.

* * *

><p>"Ah, do you remember when we were Sora-kun's age, Hiroshi-san?" sighed Isuzu. She laughed, "I had <em>quite<em> the crush on you back then."

"Oh, believe me, I figured that out for myself!" laughed Hiroshi.

Isuzu hesitated. "Hiroshi-san," she said, "does Sora-kun remind you of anyone?"

"Not in particular," said Hiroshi. "Why?"

"He just _looks_ familiar," said Isuzu. She tapped one finger on her chin and said, "I just can't quite put my finger on it." She smiled and said, "Ah, I'm sure it'll come to me eventually. In the mean time, let's go join the kids."

* * *

><p>"<em>Hassa~ku! Hassa~ku! Jouga's Hassaku!"<em>

"Ah, that jingle never gets old," sighed Kaname as she and Nemuru sat together in a booth at the Café Etranger. They sipped their drinks in anticipation for their lunches to arrive.

"Asagiri-san," said Nemuru, "do you know what it's going to be yet?"

"Oh, I found out yesterday," said Kaname, twirling her straw around. "It's going to be a girl. Kyou and I are still deciding on names. Was it like this for you and Hakase-kun when you were pregnant?"

"Somewhat, although we chose to be surprised," said Nemuru. She stared at the ice cubes in her drink with serious intent before saying, "Asagiri-san…what do you think of Sora-kun?"

"Hmm, well, I haven't had much of a chance to speak with him," said Kaname. She took a sip from her lemonade before saying, "Actually, even when I do have the chance, _he_ doesn't want to speak much. Then again, he's probably just shy because he moved into a strange new town with no family by his side. Why do you ask? What do _you_ think of him?"

"I can't really say," said Nemuru slowly. "It's the same with me as with you. Sometimes, I almost wonder if he's _afraid_ to talk to us. I ask because there's something about him that just _feels_ suspicious."

"Suspicious?" said Kaname. "How suspicious?"

Nemuru furrowed her brow. "He just reminds me of someone."

The two women sat in silence for a few minutes before Kaname said, "My, the kitchen is a bit slow today, isn't it? But I don't mind waiting too much, if it means we'll get more delicious lunches as a result." She giggled, "I still remember the time Suzu-chan and I made Hakase-kun dress as a waitress when we thought we were going to be on TV."

Nemuru smiled a bit. "Ah yes, I remember now. I also recall a certain…incident…with dear UsaEru-san. I'm afraid he was scarred for life by it. He won't even _look_ at the UsaEru-san doll I passed down to Haruka. My, he did have a rather eventful first year at Jouga—"

She was cut off by a sudden flash in her memory. It was the day of the Hassaku festival eleven years ago…a girl gone berserk…the man's voice condemning the Kamibito of Jouga…the man's smirk as he stood above the body of her friend…

His malicious eyes…that smirk…that face…that _face…_

"Asagiri-san," said Nemuru sharply, "do you remember the Hassaku festival from eleven years ago?"

"Eleven years ago…" mused Kaname. She gasped and her eyes widened. "You mean…Nemuru-san, we agreed to put that day behind us. Why do you want to think about it _now?"_

Nemuru didn't reply. She closed her eyes and thought for a minute. Then she opened her eyes and said slowly, "Sakaki-san was assumed to have drowned when Kaori-san dragged him down into the waters, but his body was never officially found, was it? Asagiri-san…do you think it's possible he might've survived his fall?"

Kaname frowned and said, "You mean…Sora-kun is Sakaki-san in disguise?"

"It's a possibility," mused Nemuru. "Sakaki-san and Sora-kun _do_ look eerily similar. In fact, Sora-kun looks almost exactly like how I remember Sakaki-san. And he is also very tall for his age."

"No, wait," said Kaname, raising a finger, "Sora-kun's eye colour is different from Sakaki-san's. Also, I doubt Sakaki-san would be stupid enough to come back into town trying to disguise himself in plain sight when he's been presumed dead for years. Not to mention he committed crimes that he would _definitely_ be arrested for if he were to return. Perhaps their resemblance is just a coincidence."

"Yes," nodded Nemuru. "Perhaps."

Just then, a waitress came with their lunches and said, "Sorry it took so long—we're a bit short-staffed right now."

"It's all right, it's all right," assured Kaname. With a harried smile and bow, the waitress left. Kaname picked up her spoon and began to scoop up her noodle soup when Nemuru said out loud:

"Fifteen…"

"Eh? Nemuru-san?" said Kaname, putting her spoon down.

"Sora-kun is fifteen years old," said Nemuru. "Eleven years ago, he would've been four years old. And he would've been a baby when Mieko-san was killed. I spoke with him a few days ago—he said his parents never had the chance to marry because his mother died when he was still a baby.

_So…then…ah! Ah!_

"But what about Sakaki-san's age?" asked Kaname. "Wouldn't he have been a bit young?"

"But not young enough," said Nemuru. "He was definitely old enough to father a child."

At last, the pieces feel together, and Kaname could only stammer, "But—but—that would mean…"

"That's right," said Nemuru with a firm nod. "Sora-kun could be—or is—Sakaki-san's son."

"But..." Kaname gulped. "But why would he send his son _here?_ What sort of plans would he have if he were to do such a thing?"

Nemuru picked up her chopsticks and said:

"That is a very good question."


	6. Chapter 6

6

At the end of the day, Sora's limbs ached from running around through the water and wandering through the nearby forest. He nearly fell asleep in the car ride on the way back and had just about drifted off when he felt the car jerk to a sudden stop.

Isuzu and Makoto had already been dropped off at home, something Sora had paid little attention to in his fatigue. With a deep yawn, Sora unbuckled himself and got out of the car while Haruka fiddled with her own buckle. He walked up to the door just in time for it to open. Nemuru stood in the doorway and said, "Good evening. How was your day?"

"Exhausting," sighed Sora. Haruka rushed past him and hugged her mother around the knees. With a smile, Nemuru bent down and picked up Haruka in her arms. As Hiroshi walked over and began to recap the day, Sora thought back to how Nemuru had just greeted him. Her eyes had lit up when Haruka came out, but in those few seconds prior, there had been something off about her eyes. She had looked as though she had been in deep thought about something all afternoon.

What's more, she had been looking at _him_ in an unusual manner.

Sora shook his head and thought, _Nah, I'm just tired. I'm probably over-thinking it._

* * *

><p>But the contemplative look in her eyes had returned at dinner. And though she tried to hide it, Sora could tell she was looking right at him as he fiddled with the chopsticks before giving up and using a fork. Though he gulped down half his drink, his throat felt dry and his hands clammy.<p>

"Sora-kun."

Sora nearly jumped, but remained seated. "Y—yes?" he said.

"Are you—"

_Oh shit she knows she knows she knows she knows what do I do what do I do? Deny it? Beg for mercy? Stab her with my chopsticks? That's it, I'm done for, I'm—_

"Sora-kun?" prompted Hiroshi. "Are you or are you not hungry?"

"You…you just asked if I was hungry?" said Sora meekly.

"Yes," said Nemuru with a nod. "You haven't eaten much. Is something the matter?"

"No! No! Everything's fine," Sora quickly assured her. "I'm just stuffed from…the barbeque we had earlier today."

"Ah, I do recall you taking a larger portion than necessary," nodded Hiroshi. "Eat what you can."

"Uh, su—sure," laughed Sora nervously. He picked up the fork and dabbed at the plate.

"Is something wrong?" said Nemuru.

Sora looked up sharply and said, "No, nothing's wrong; I'm just tired. It's been a long day." He looked back down at his plate and thought, _That's it, I'm calling father after dinner._

* * *

><p>"It's over."<p>

"What?"

Sora gulped and peered over his shoulder to make sure that no one was passing by the closed screen while he spoke on the phone:

"She knows everything. I don't know how, but she just _does."_

"Are you sure?" said his father. "How do you know that? Did she say anything?"

"Well, uh…she asked if something was wrong," said Sora, wondering if he was getting worked up over nothing. "And she keeps looking at me funny…I think."

"So you think a funny look is enough to be suspicious?" scoffed his father. "From what you've told me, you've been doing a good job at lying low so far. She probably just doesn't approve of how you dress or something like that." There was a pause. "Or maybe you _have_ done something to give yourself away and you just didn't realize it."

Sora nearly dropped the phone when he thought he heard a creak. But when he turned, there was no silhouette of a person or any further sound. He gulped and said, "So what do I do?"

"Nothing for now," said his father. "However, even if she doesn't suspect a thing, assume she does. Be more careful about what you say to her _or_ anyone else. Did you say anything today to make her suspicious?"

"No, not really," said Sora. His eyes darted around the room in spite of his mental reassurances that there was no one in here or outside. "Today was pretty uneventful." He paused, wondering what to say. "I, um, did a lot of hard work at school. Then I came back and that was when she started acting weird."

He gasped at the sound of approaching footsteps and saw an arching shadow. "What is it?" said his father.

"I think someone's coming," said Sora in a quick, hushed tone. "I'll talk to you later, bye."

He slammed the phone down on the receiver and pretended to be admiring the painting of the silver crane on the wall as he heard the door slide open. A small set of footsteps followed after.

"Sora-chan?" said the voice of Haruka. "Who were you talking to?"

_Damn. How much did she hear?_

"An old friend from my hometown," said Sora, turning to the curious-looking child who was already dressed for bed.

"Why did you lie to them?" said Haruka. "You were at the river bed with us, not school."

"Oh, well, this friend really hates kids and I didn't want him making fun of me, so…" Sora held his breath.

"Do _you_ hate kids?" asked Haruka, blinking.

"Oh no, of course not," laughed Sora. He ruffled Haruka's hair and said, "You're a good kid."

"Good," said Haruka. She shuffled her feet and said, "But why did you tell your friend you were at school?"

"I just said…" Sora began, but Haruka said:

"Doesn't your friend know today is Sunday?"

… … …_oh shit._

"Yeah, I was just coming up with something on the spot, didn't really have time to think it through," said Sora, wondering how it had suddenly gotten to be so hot. "If he asks, I'll just tell him I was doing extra credit work or helping out with a club or something like that."

Haruka crossed her ankles and said, "Is it okay if I call you onii-san?"

"Ah…sure, I guess," said Sora, wondering if he finally had Haruka's trust after all.

"Then good night…onii-san," said Haruka. She smiled just a little bit, then turned and skipped off.

Sora let out the breath he had been holding and thought, _Damn it, she's right; father would've for sure seen through that. What do I say the next time I talk to him?...Maybe I just shouldn't bring it up. If he sees a problem with it, maybe he'll ask, or maybe he'll think I was doing extra credit work. In the mean time, what am I supposed to do about _her? _Just how am I supposed to do nothing if she suspects me? Damn it, father, just how much longer am I supposed to wait until we strike?_

He began to walk out of the room just in time to nearly run into Nemuru. "Oh, excuse me," said Nemuru, stepping aside. "I didn't see you there."

"Sorry," said Sora. He began to walk down the hall when Nemuru called out, "Sora-kun."

Sora froze. His heart thumped and pounded, his skin began to sweat, and his throat felt dry. He tried to prepare a possible comeback if she confronted him, but his mind was blank. He slowly turned to her just as she said:

"How did your mother die?"

Sora thought he would either wet himself, break down crying, or do both. But he kept as calm as he possibly could and said, "Why do you want to know that?"

"I apologize if that was too personal," said Nemuru, turning around. "You don't have to answer if you don't—"

Before Sora could stop himself, he burst out, "My father told me she was murdered in cold blood, and—and that the person who did it was a heartless monster."

If awkwardness were a knife, it would've cut the hallway in two. Realizing what he had done too late, Sora quickly said, "Um, I've got to go to bed now. Good night." He ran down the hall, scolding himself for being such an idiot.

* * *

><p>As she lay next to her husband, Nemuru thought about the young man staying with her and her family. Sora was Sakaki's son. That was a fact she was near doubtless of, and Sora's outburst had confirmed it. It had been stirring in her mind throughout the afternoon, but part of her had begun to doubt if it really was true or not. Perhaps these so-called "facts" she had realized at lunch were just coincidences. Perhaps she was making a connection that wasn't even there.<p>

Yet the more she examined the "evidence", the more she had to admit to herself that the "coincidences" were too similar to ignore.

But still, one piece of the puzzle had been missing: Why?

And it was Sora's story about his mother that had helped her affirm that:

Vengeance.

But how was he going to exact his vengeance by sending his son here? What would this help him actually _do?_

Whatever it was, Nemuru doubted he had sent Sora here to forgive and forget everything.

So now what to do?

Nemuru rolled over on one side. If she confronted him, he might deny it either way, whether he was innocent or guilty. If she threw him out, it wouldn't stop him from going back to his father so they could come up with another plan; besides, it might be a bit too hasty.

No, before she could do anything, she had to find out what Sakaki and Sora's plans really were. But how? It was easy to tell that the pressure was beginning to get to Sora—he had been shaking during dinner, jumped at everything she had said, and she couldn't forget the look on his face right before he had told her about his mother's death. He had looked like a deer standing in front of an approaching car.

So getting him to crack _might_ be easy. But if he were truly loyal to his father, and to his cause, then while he might give away _some_ details he might still keep others heavily guarded.

Nemuru began to wonder just how much Sora _really_ knew about what happened to his mother, and if he even knew of what his father had done eleven years ago. She had yet to sort out her feelings on Sakaki being alive and putting her through eleven years of guilt for nothing.

For now, she had to think about how to solve this conflict in the present before it led to her family and friends getting hurt.


	7. Chapter 7

7

Sora couldn't concentrate in class the next day. Thoughts of his father and Nemuru flew through his mind, and he wondered how to deal with them both. Nemuru hadn't said anything to him that morning when he came down for breakfast, nor had she said anything past a "goodbye" when he left for school.

What if she saw through his cover? If she did, why wasn't she doing anything? If she hadn't suspected anything before, then she _had_ to suspect _something_ after what he had said.

And his father…Sora could practically _feel_ his disapproving gaze boring into his neck as he doodled in the margins of his notebook. Even if he hadn't seen through his lie, he wouldn't be happy to learn how Sora had given himself away after being told not to.

Well, there was no need to let him know, was there?

Or _should_ he be told so they could come up with another strategy in case she knew the truth?

Sora picked up his pencil and tapped it against the desk while staring out the window at the city that both bewildered and frightened him.

At the end of the day, Sora went straight to the library. As usual, he sat in a corner by himself and got a head start on his homework. Yet the more he looked over at Yuki and Kotara studying together, the more an ache inside him grew. Could he call his bond with them "friendship"? Perhaps. Then what could this ache be called?

The feeling began to be too much to bear, and so Sora closed up his notebook, picked up his backpack, and walked over to their table. With a grin, Kotara said, "Glad to see _I_ didn't have to call _you_ for a change! So do you want to help study or talk?"

"Talk," sighed Sora as he took a seat next to Kotara. "Kotara-san, have you ever said anything rude to any kind of authority figure in your life?"

"Authority figure? Like who?" asked Kotara.

"Like, I don't know, a teacher, or your mom, or…" Sora's voice faded out as he wondered why he had just mentally compared Nemuru Kushinada, of all people, to his mother.

"Oh yeah, I used to get in trouble a lot for saying stuff about the old laws when I was a kid," sighed Kotara, leaning back in his chair. "Even after they loosened up or disappeared, I still got flak for honestly expressing how I felt about them. So yeah, I guess you could say I was kind of outspoken."

"What exactly did you say?" asked Sora.

"Stuff like how I was glad those laws might be gone soon, and how I didn't want to hide who I was from my classmates anymore," said Kotara, rubbing two fingers together. "And I also kept trying to get my classmates to talk about any family members who got killed for breaking the rules, like about how my own sister was executed. Of course, I'd get the usual talk about how 'the nail that sticks out must be hammered down', but—"

"Wait, your sister was executed?" said Sora sharply.

"Yeah, it happened a few months before everything started to turn around," said Kotara. The amused glance in his eye faded out and was replaced by a thoughtful one. "I remember being angry and confused over why it had to happen, or why I even had to attend her execution at all. I had begged to stay home 'cuz, you know, I didn't want to watch. But all the same…"

He sighed and shook his head. "I didn't understand any of it. I was told later that she kissed a guy, turned him into one of us, and that was why she had to die. Even then, I still didn't get it."

"Weren't you angry at the person who killed your sister?" said Sora. "Didn't you hate them? Did you ever want to take revenge?"

"Not really," said Kotara, leaning forward. "I was just confused about everything, so I didn't know how to feel. Given that the person who killed my sister is also the same person who made it possible for the Kamibito and the Ochibito to exist together, though, I think I might find it in my heart to forgive her."

"But how can you?" burst out Sora, bewildered by the boy sitting just across from him. "She took a loved one away from you. If she had just said no to her task, your sister would still be alive. She's a _murderer!"_

He slammed his hands down on the desk, prompting Yuki to look up sharply from her book. "Whoa, Shinju-san, calm down," laughed Kotara. "And think about whom you're calling a murderer—isn't she the same person you're living with?"

Sora realized the other students in the library were staring at him. His face red, he muttered, "Well, um…I guess I could show a _bit_ more respect."

"In any event, don't worry about me," said Kotara with a wave of the hand. "I've let go of it and so should you."

Yuki cleared her throat and said, "Shinju-san…um…there was something I've been meaning to ask you for a while…"

"Yeah?" said Sora, turning to Yuki. Yuki swallowed and said:

"Would you like to go out with me after school tomorrow?"

"Out? Like, on a friendly outing, or…?"

"On a date."

Yuki's cheeks flushed but she did not break eye contact. _"Oh,"_ said Sora, wondering how to respond to that. "Yeah, sure, I guess. Where do you want to go?"

"Maybe to the Café Etranger," suggested Yuki, fidgeting with her hands. "We could have dinner there or something…if you're allowed to go."

"Yeah, I guess I could see if I can get permission," said Sora. He turned around in his chair just in time to see Nemuru coming into the library. "Uh, maybe I could get her permission now," Sora muttered as he sprung back up and walked over to Nemuru.

"Um…Kushinada-san?" said Sora.

Nemuru looked over. "Yes, Sora-kun?" she said. "I was just coming over to talk to you about something—"

"Is it okay if I hang out with this girl tomorrow?" said Sora quickly, not looking her in the eye. "We're going out for dinner."

"I suppose, as long as you're back by eight-thirty," nodded Nemuru. Then, "Sora-kun…is there anything you want to talk to me about?"

"Um…" Sora looked over at Kotara and Yuki, then looked back at Nemuru. "Can we talk in private?"

"Of course," nodded Nemuru. She and Sora walked over to an isolated corner behind the bookshelf nearest to the wall.

"I've just been thinking about what you told me last night," said Nemuru. Sora tensed up as Nemuru went on: "Do you remember me telling you what the old laws used to be?"

Sora nodded, bracing himself for whatever accusation he was certain she was about to make. "I don't know if your family used to live in Jougamachi," said Nemuru quietly, "but if they did, there's a likely possibility your mother may have been one of my victims. I might just be jumping to the wrong conclusion—perhaps your mother was killed in another incident—but you just appear so nerve-wrecked around me. If I am correct, then I won't excuse my actions. You have every right to hate me."

_So…this is the woman my father has been calling a monster, huh?_

"…I don't hate you," said Sora. There was another, short period of silence before Nemuru said, "Are you doing homework?"

"I just finished up," said Sora, shuffling his feet. "But since I'm here, I guess I might be interested in looking up some stuff on Jouga's history, just to find out if maybe my mother might have been one of your victims after all."

"Hmm, let me see," said Nemuru as she walked towards the nearby filing cabinet. "Asagiri-san entrusted this key," Sora noticed the small brass key Nemuru held in her hand that he had not seen before, "to me before she went on maternity leave. One of these files should contain the old newspaper archives." She unlocked the middle drawer and said, "Ah, here they are. Is there a specific year or date you're looking for?"

"Not really," shrugged Sora as he walked over to her.

"How about these articles?" suggested Nemuru as she pulled out a few newspapers and handed them to Sora. "Be careful with them; they're old."

"Thank you very much," said Sora as he walked over to Kotara and Yuki's table. He sat down as Kotara said, "So what did you guys talk about?"

"Nothing much," said Sora as he looked over his shoulder. Nemuru was browsing the bookshelves, but she was still in earshot. He turned back to the newspaper articles and placed them down on the table. "Do either of you want to read through these?"

Yuki shook her head. Kotara said, "Yeah, sure, why not." He took one newspaper while Sora took another. The one Kotara held dated to February 1982, while Sora's went back to July 1983. There wasn't anything of real interest to Sora, apart from an article about the poor Hassaku harvest.

"Man, I was just a kid when most of this stuff happened," remarked Kotara as she flipped through the pages. "I don't think I even _remember_ most of this stuff." He paused. "Although…"

"Although what?" asked Sora, looking up from the paper at the same time as Kotara.

"I _do_ remember some parts of this one Hassaku festival from when I was around four or five," said Kotara. "All I remember is some girl going crazy and attacking this one boy, then this asshole came along and spouted a bunch of stuff about the Kamibito. I think there was also some kind of emergency, but I'm not sure."

Sora put his copy down and said, "Maybe it's one of the news articles here. Remind me again, when does a typical Hassaku festival occur?"

"Usually in September," said Kotara.

"Hmm…" Sora picked up some of the other old newspapers and began flipping through them, being careful not to tear apart the fragile pages.

And then he found a front page with the headline: CHAOS AT THE HASSAKU FESTIVAL. In the upper right corner was the date: September 23, 1983.

"Hey, Kotara-san," said Sora, "could this be what you're talking about?" He began to turn the paper to show Kotara.

And then he noticed a picture of his father underneath the headline, right next to another picture of a girl with a crazy smile.

Or at least, the man _looked_ like his father. He had the same hair style and the same facial features. But _was_ he his father?

Sora took a quick look through the article as it detailed how the Hassaku festival of that year had begun peacefully and ended in panic and chaos.

What he read nearly stopped his heart:

"_A mysterious stranger identified by others as Shunichirou Sakaki lay at the heart of today's tragedy. Anonymous sources tell us that he was responsible for the attempted flooding of Jougamachi, the murder of Tarou Kasai, and the assault of a young girl."_

…_Murder?_

_Assault?_

_Flooding?_

…_What?...No…_

It couldn't have been his father. This man even had a different name. And yet the resemblance was too strong for Sora to deny.

Sora barely read the rest of the article, his mind still attempting to draw a connection between the man who had raised him and the man who had attempted to destroy an entire village. The only part that his mind could fully comprehend was:

"_According to eyewitnesses, Sakaki either fell or jumped off a cliff together with a young woman by the name of Kaori Mana. A search party will soon begin to scour the river for any trace of either one's body."_

That was it then, wasn't it? Sakaki was dead. His father couldn't have possibly…

"What's wrong, Shinju-san?" said Kotara, startling Sora out of his trance. "You look like you saw a ghost."

Sora handed the article over to Kotara, his hands trembling. Kotara skimmed the article over and said, "Right, I remember now. At least that madman was stopped in time before he could do anything else."

"Do you…do you know what happened?" asked Sora slowly. "To the man, I mean? To Sakaki-san?"

"Him? No one knows," said Kotara, putting the article down. "His body was never found. Mana-san's body was, but not his. Some people suspect he drowned and was washed out of Jouga before he could be recovered. Others think he escaped and is hiding somewhere. The police are on their guard in case he's alive and returns to Jouga. In the mean time, though, we're just grateful that nut can't harm us again. Hey, where are you going?" he said when Sora grabbed the article, leaped up from his seat, and slung his backpack over his shoulder.

Sora took off, barely paying attention to the sounds of Kotara crying out, _"Oi! Shinju-san! Shinju-san!"_

* * *

><p>Sora remembered the exact address and apartment block his father—no, Sakaki—had given him. It was this information that led him to stand outside the door, pounding heavily.<p>

"I'm coming, I'm coming," said the familiar voice on the other side irritably. The door opened and suddenly, the words Sora had planned to say fell flat. He looked into the eyes of his father, the man who had raised him, the man who had tried to destroy an entire village, and could not say anything.

Then, Sakaki's eyes moved to the news article Sora had not once let go of since he began his journey. With a sigh, Sakaki said, "Come in, let's talk."

Sora came in and took a quick look around the apartment. It was small and modest, with enough room for a kitchen in one corner, a dining room in another, and a bedroom in yet another, with some space for a couch.

"So you've found out," said Sakaki dully as he took his seat on the couch. The words sprang back to Sora's mind and he burst out the first few that came to mind:

"_How could you?"_

"Now Sora, it was a long time ago," said Sakaki, gesturing for Sora to sit, yet Sora continued to stand and rant, "I can understand you wanting revenge on the Kushinada family, yes, but attempting to wipe out an entire village is going too far!"

"Sora—"

"And—and—and what's this about killing a man? _Why_ did you kill them? Did they have _anything_ to do with what happened to mother? Or did you just kill them for the heck of it?"

"Sora—"

"And what happened to that girl you assaulted, huh? What did _she_ ever do to—"

"_Sora."_

Sora was cut off by Sakaki's stern tone. "I see you've been softened by the Kushinada's," he said coldly.

"_No I haven't!"_ cried out Sora, flinging the article down on the couch with a loud _smack._ "I'd _still _be angry even if I hadn't been guided to the archives by…" His voice faded as he began to realize something.

"By Nemuru Kushinada?" said Sakaki sharply.

"Y…yes…" said Sora slowly.

"Damn it!" exclaimed Sakaki, slamming his fist on the coffee table. "She must've intentionally guided you there so you'd find this article! And that can only mean one thing."

"She knows who I am," croaked Sora. He fell to his knees and dry-sobbed, "Father, forgive me! I must've said something! I don't know what I said, I—I was just—I mean—it's over, isn't it? Now that she knows I can't go back! It's all over for us, it's over, it's over, it's—"

He felt a pair of hands grab him by the shoulders and shake him. "Get a hold of yourself!" snapped Sakaki. "Be a man!"

Sakaki's grip relaxed and he said, "We must continue with our plan. We've already come this far."

"_We?"_ burst out Sora. "This was _your_ plan! And after reading _this,"_ Sora picked up the article, "I don't know _what_ to believe anymore."

Sakaki let go and turned his gaze to the window. "You must follow through with this," he said, "for my sake." He paused. "Sora…I never told you why you were raised by your grandmother for the first few years of your life, did I?"

Sora shook his head, wondering what this had to do with the plan. Sakaki said, "After your mother was killed, I barely had the strength to care for you as a baby. I turned to alcohol to help me with my problems. Your grandmother took you in when she saw I couldn't handle it. But I didn't stop. I spent the next four years drinking to cope with the pain of losing the woman I loved. I stopped when I decided to be a father to you." He sighed, "And now, I'm afraid my old drinking habits have finally caught up to me."

"What do you mean?" asked Sora, furrowing his brow. With a bitter smile, Sakaki turned back to Sora and said:

"I saw Dr. Hashimoto this morning. He told me that I have terminal liver cancer."

A soft, heavy silence befell the apartment. Sora closed his eyes, feeling his head spin, his stomach turn, and his heart sink. After only a few minutes, but what felt like hours, Sakaki went on:

"I haven't been feeling well for the past few weeks. I didn't tell you sooner because I wanted you to focus on our plan." He laughed, "How foolish of me. You might've gotten me to see Dr. Hashimoto a lot sooner. At least then, it could've been treated. But it was discovered too late."

"How…" Sora swallowed and whispered, "How much longer do you have…until…?"

"He gave me around three months, four if I'm lucky," said Sakaki, holding Sora's hand tightly. "The most that can be done for me is having the symptoms managed and the pain treated, but that's about it." He looked into Sora's eyes and said, "Sora…please, for my sake, go through with our plot. It's not dying I'm afraid of; it's dying without your mother's death being avenged that worries me. Please, give me _some_ peace of mind before I die, and put this worry of mine to rest."

Sora's hand shook. "I promise. But on one condition: Please don't ask me to kill everyone else."

"Oh no, of course not," said Sakaki, stroking Sora's hand. "That was a mistake. You're right, I shouldn't have done that. I should've had only one target in mind, not drag innocents into it."

Sora blinked back tears and said, "Hey, father…do you want me to stick around to help you with anything? I can just tell her that I'm leaving town for a few days to hang out with old school friends or something."

"No, that's all right," said Sakaki, shaking his head. "I'd rather be alone and have some time to deal with the news. Besides, since she already knows you're my son, leaving so suddenly would just get her more suspicious. You can help me after the plan is complete, okay?"

"O…okay," gulped Sora. He looked over at the door and said, "I guess I should be going soon, huh?"

"Yes, you should," said Sakaki. He let go of Sora's clutched hand and said, "Now go. I'll be fine, I promise."

Sora took the article that now felt cold in his hands. He slung his backpack over his shoulder, bit his lip, and said, "I'll see you later."

With one last pained look over his shoulder, Sora left with a heavy feeling in his heart.


	8. Chapter 8

8

The next evening, Sora's date with Yuki got off to a good start…or so he hoped. She didn't appear to notice his fidgeting hands, his twitching eyebrows, or his nervous smile. If she did, he hoped she found them charming. And as they sat at their table in the Café Etranger waiting for their meals to be served, he tried to control his drumming fingers.

"Shinju-san," said Yuki, "is something wrong?"

"No, not at all!" laughed Sora in a high-pitched tone. "I'm just, um…hungry for our meal."

He leaned back in his seat, trying to block out the smells of the fried meal one table down, the sounds of people laughing so _loudly_ and chatting about their lives, and the squeezing of his stomach. After returning, Sora had dropped the article off at the library and then hurried home. He hadn't dared speak another word to anyone else up until now. Yet as much as he tried to focus on the pink flower in Yuki's hair, or the matching pink dress she wore, or the bright look in her eyes, he kept thinking back to his father's news.

So he was sick. And dying. Sick and dying.

And his dying wish was for Sora to help him kill Nemuru Kushinada.

And Sora had done nothing of the sort yet.

His father only had four months to live.

Four months to carry out a plan.

Four months for Sora to finally make up his mind.

Given that he had just been diagnosed, Sora could only assume that his father would at last give him a set date for the plan. And it _had_ to be sometime within the next few weeks while he still had his strength. If he waited any longer, he'd be too weak and sick to act.

Was it just Nemuru Kushinada who would be the target of his revenge? What about her husband or her daughter? What about her friends? His father had said they'd be after just _one_ person…but what if others got caught up in it? What if he changed his mind and decided to kill them as some sort of revenge-by-proxy scheme?

Could Sora _still_ go through with it?

Sora thought back to when Nemuru had confessed to killing his mother. Not once had she denied it, or tried to rationalize it. Nor had she shifted the blame to anyone but herself. She had taken full responsibility and was prepared to be hated by him.

But she still killed his mother.

She had apologized.

But she still killed his mother.

She might not be a monster after all…

Who was he kidding? She still—

"Shinju-san?"

Sora nearly leaped out of his seat. "Are you sure there isn't anything I can help you with?" asked Yuki.

"Um…Sohda-san," said Sora slowly, "were you ever given some kind of…family obligation that you weren't really sure you wanted to do but you knew you had to do it for some reason?"

Yuki shook her head. "No, I can't say I have," she said. "Why do you ask?"

"Um, no reason," said Sora, looking over at the salt and pepper shakers. "So…what did you used to do in your old hometown before coming here? To Jouga, I mean."

"I was on the yearbook committee at my old middle school," said Yuki, adjusting her bracelet. "Sometimes, I used to take short walks alone to this small park near my house and read on a park bench." She sighed, "Sorry if I'm boring you."

"No, it's not boring at all," said Sora. "Sometimes, I wish my life was simple."

"Pardon me for asking," said Yuki, "but was your question about family obligation related to your own family?"

"Sort of," said Sora, hesitating. "I mean, well…it's complicated. I couldn't tell you."

"I see," said Yuki. "But if you need to talk, just let me know any time." She paused. "I don't know your situation, Shinju-san, but I think that above all else, commitment to one's family is most important. It doesn't matter if it inconveniences you or not—to turn your back on your family is to turn your back on life itself. Sometimes, your family will be the only people on your side when the whole world is against you. That kind of unconditional love can never be rejected. Does that answer your question?"

Sora thought back to his father, and to Nemuru Kushinada, and said, "Yeah, it does."

* * *

><p>After dinner, the two went for a walk down the streets of Jouga. The sunset was a nice shade of pink looming on the horizon, giving Sora cause to say, "How does that saying go again? Something about a red sky at night?"<p>

"Sailor's delight," finished Yuki. She turned to Sora and smiled gently. "Thank you for this evening."

"You're welcome," said Sora. He paused. "Would it be all right if I called you "Yuki-chan"?"

"How about just "Yuki"?" suggested Yuki, slipping her hand into his.

"Okay then…Yuki," said Sora, entangling his fingers with hers. "Do you want me to walk you home?"

"I'll be fine when we reach the bridge between the two towns," Yuki assured him. There was a soft breeze that blew around the hem of her dress. "So if you're calling me 'Yuki', then how about I call you 'Sora-kun'?"

"So—Sora-_kun?"_ stammered Sora, feeling the back of his neck grow hot. "Uh…yeah, sure, I guess." He cleared his throat and said, "So…does this mean we're dating now or something?"

"Um, yeah," nodded Yuki, looking away. "Something like that."

"But we don't really know a lot about each other, do we?" said Sora, thinking, _What would father say if he knew I was dating a citizen of this town? Even if she's human, she's still a citizen._

"We could get to know each other better," said Yuki. "If you like."

"Maybe, sure," shrugged Sora.

They reached the bridge and stopped. "Well…I guess this is goodbye," said Sora awkwardly.

But Yuki did not leave. She stood there, crossing her ankles behind one another, looking over at Sora and biting her lip.

"Yuki…?" said Sora.

Before he could anticipate it, Yuki leaned in and pressed something soft and warm against his cheek, then leaned back and blushed furiously. She muttered, "See you tomorrow," and ran off.

It took Sora only a few seconds to realize he had just been kissed.

And even worse, that he had enjoyed it.

* * *

><p>"Onii-san! Onii-san!" Haruka bounced up and down as Sora came in through the door. "How did it go? How did it go?"<p>

"It went all right, I guess," sighed Sora as he closed the door behind him. "But isn't it past your bedtime, Haruka-chan?"

Haruka shuffled her feet. "A little bit. But it's not _that_ late, so—"

"Ah, but you are still young and you need your rest," said Hiroshi as he came around the corner and scooped Haruka up in his arms.

"I'm not tired, papa," said Haruka as she rested her head on Hiroshi's shoulder. She yawned and stretched her legs, then closed her eyes as she was carried off to bed.

Sora took off his shoes, but stood. Tonight had been nice, but all the same, he couldn't get the mental image of his father dying in a hospital bed weeping for vengeance out of his head. Little Haruka wouldn't dare be dragged into this, would she? Maybe if Sora were careful, no one besides Nemuru would get hurt.

But if he were to go through with leading Nemuru into this trap, he'd be taking a mother away from Haruka…just like how a mother had been taken away from _him…_

And then would Hiroshi raise Haruka to hate Sora's family and take vengeance upon him? Would the cycle just keep repeating itself until every last family member on both side was dead?

Or maybe he was just being melodramatic. Maybe that _wouldn't_ be the case after all. Maybe it would end with Nemuru's death.

But he'd still be taking a mother away from a child. Would that make him any better than the "monster" he was up against?

Well, it's not like _he'd_ be the one to kill her, right? That would be his father's doing, solely his father's doing.

But what if he gave Sora the chance to kill her? Would he take it?

No, he'd probably want to take the chance himself.

And he wasn't _really_ killing her; he was just leading her to her death.

Or was that the same thing?

Sora closed his eyes and a different image sprang to mind. This time, it was his father lying in bed with all his hair fallen out, his skin vanilla pale, his bones showing, and a sorrowful look in his eyes. He was whispering, "Why? Why didn't you do it when we had the chance? You've let me down…you've let your mother down…"

_What am I doing? I'm being selfish. My father is dying and I'm wasting time by going on some silly date. What I've really done is just put it off. But that'll be enough._

He looked down the hall and thought, _First, I've got to talk to her._

* * *

><p>She was sitting in the living room sipping a cup of tea when he came in. "I have to talk to you," he said.<p>

Nemuru gestured for him to sit next to her, and he took his place. Sora pushed himself to talk, for he knew that if he didn't say these words now, he'd never be able to say them:

"You know the truth, don't you? About my father? And me?"

Nemuru set her cup down and nodded. "Yes. Your father is Shunichirou Sakaki, is he not?"

"Yes," said Sora. He fidgeted with his hands. "But that was an alias he took on when he entered Jouga. And anyway, it doesn't matter anymore because…" He gulped. "Because he's dead now. He died when he went over that cliff that day. I was brought up by my grandmother my entire life and she told me about my father, and what happened to my mother. I came here because I wanted to meet my mother's murderer. And now…now I see you're not a bad person like I thought you were my entire life."

In the pit of his stomach, he felt his dinner churning, but he went on: "Thank you for all you've done. I think I'll continue to stay here for a bit longer, if you don't mind. And you know…you've been like a mother to me."

The look in Nemuru's eyes softened and she said, "Sora-kun…" Then, she did something unexpected.

She gave him a hug, which jerked the feeling in Sora's stomach all the more. Even so, he returned the hug.

* * *

><p>"Hello."<p>

"Father?...I, um…I told her the truth."

"You _what?"_

"No, no, listen…I told her that I'm your son, but that you're dead. I don't think she suspects anything anymore."

"For your sake, you had _better_ be right."

"I just thought that if I came clean she'd be less suspicious because since I was honest to her about where I came from, I have nothing to hide, right?...Um, I don't mean to nag or anything, but when—"

"Mother's Day."

"…Th—_this _Mother's Day? Right...I figured you'd probably act now before you're too weak to do anything."

"Exactly. Now listen carefully, my son, this is what you must do…"


	9. Chapter 9

9

The morning of Mother's Day began with an abundance of cheerful laughter, urges to open up the presents Haruka had taken the entire week to make, and ambivalence from one individual.

Sora stood back and observed the happy scene of Nemuru sitting at the table smiling and thanking Haruka for her paper cranes while the young girl hugged her tight. _Enjoy this happiness while you can, _he thought. He had refused breakfast on the excuse that he wasn't hungry. For once, this wasn't a lie, for as he thought about how Haruka's happiness with her mother would soon come to a cruel, swift end, his appetite lessened.

Sora had woken up long before anyone else and called up his father to go over the plan one last time. He was to suggest to Nemuru that they take a walk together around town, lead her through the central market where he would give his father (who would be hiding in a nearby car wearing a disguise) the signal to go ahead, cause a distraction by knocking over a fruit stand, and lead Nemuru to the precise spot where his father would fire the gun and shoot her in the knee. While she was lying on the ground wounded, Sora would insist on taking her to the hospital himself…but instead lead her to his father's vehicle and the two would drive off to the mountains.

"As for what happens next," his father had added ominously, "that depends on how badly you want her to suffer before she dies….hahaha…."

What exactly did that _mean?_ Just how far would they go in their revenge?

As Sora tried to mentally prepare himself for whatever he would have to do, Haruka climbed into her mother's lap, kissed her on the cheek, and said, "I love you, mama."

Nemuru smiled and gave Haruka a gentle hug. Sora cleared the lump in his throat and said, "So, Kushinada-san…what do you say we go for a walk around town for a bit? Like, maybe we could go to the Jouga central market?"

"That would be fine by me," said Nemuru as Haruka slid out of her lap. "Would you like the rest of the family to come with?"

"Well, um, I just don't think we're spending enough time together," said Sora, walking over to her. "I kind of regret not really getting close to anyone during my first month here. And I hope it's not too late to form some kind of bond with you all. I was hoping that I'd get to go one at a time, just so I don't feel totally overwhelmed."

Nemuru turned to Hiroshi, making Sora wonder if she did suspect something after all. Even if she did, there was absolutely no turning back now. He couldn't see the look the two were exchanging, but he hoped it didn't mean anything.

Nemuru turned back and said, "Very well. I was hoping to get to know you better, too. Just give me a few minutes to prepare."

* * *

><p>As Nemuru and Sora took their walk through the streets of the New Town, Sora couldn't stop looking over his shoulder every few seconds. He couldn't get rid of the underlying feeling that he was being watched. Of course, he was being watched by his father from…somewhere…but it felt like someone else was following them or something.<p>

_Maybe I'm just being paranoid,_ Sora reasoned with himself. _But then again…when she got ready to go out…she couldn't have told her husband to follow us or anything, did she?_

A footstep clapped on the pavement.

Sora gasped and spun around.

It was just a small crowd of people.

"Sora-kun, are you all right?" Nemuru asked. "Is something the matter?"

"Um…no," gulped Sora. He took another look over his shoulder. "I just thought I saw…someone from…school. Or something like that."

* * *

><p><em>Good, he didn't see me,<em> thought Hiroshi with a sigh of relief as he hid in the ally and took a peak around the corner. Nemuru and Sora were walking side-by-side, Sora whipping around every few seconds. Each time, Hiroshi would be careful to make sure he wasn't seen. When he had been asked by his wife to follow the two of them "just in case anything happens", he had thought she was being paranoid. After all, just because Sora was Sakaki's son didn't necessarily mean he was a bad kid.

Nemuru had told him of Sora's confession a few weeks ago as the two went to bed. "He also told me that Sakaki-san is dead," she had said. "But to be honest…I'm not sure if he's telling the truth or not. If he's truly loyal to his father, then he's probably lying, and only told me half the truth because he realized I know the truth. If he's only here to know the person who killed his mother, as he claimed, why would he claim his father was alive and then suddenly say he's dead?"

"Maybe he thought you'd throw him out if you knew whom he was related to," Hiroshi had suggested.

"But still," said Nemuru, "something just doesn't feel right."

While he had shrugged off Nemuru's suspicions at the time, the small gestures Sora made—from turning his head to chewing his lower lip to wringing his hands—began to feed the suspicion in the back of Hiroshi's mind that Nemuru may have been right.

And if she were right, then she could be in danger.

And he couldn't allow any harm to come to the ones he loved.

Hiroshi took the risk and walked out of the ally, blending into the crowd. Just up ahead was the Jouga central market. Sora suddenly stopped and said something to Nemuru that Hiroshi couldn't catch. He said something about going ahead.

As Nemuru walked into the market, Sora's head turned to the left and he appeared to be looking for something, then he gave a slight nod in the direction of a nearby parked car before going inside.

As for _which_ parked car he had given that small yet significant nod to, it had appeared to be in the direction of two, nearby cars parked on the sidewalk right near the entrance. Both cars _appeared_ to be empty, but did that mean someone wasn't hiding in one of them?

That was the question Hiroshi had to answer for the sake of his wife.

* * *

><p>"My, it sure is busy today," Nemuru remarked as she and Sora made their way through the bustling crowds coming in and out of the various shops. "Others must have had the same idea as us."<p>

"Right," said Sora. He looked out again towards the blue car his father had said he'd be in. Before he gave the signal, there were a few things he had to know. He turned back to Nemuru and said, "Hey, Kushinada-san…just what happened at the Hassaku festival eleven years ago?"

Nemuru took Sora to a nearby, vacant bench and the two sat down. "Well," she said, folding her hands in her lap, "it was a very chaotic festival. A young woman went berserk and attacked another person. Then the town was in danger of being destroyed and—"

"Please," said Sora, "don't gloss over what my father did. I saw the article—I know about the things he did."

Nemuru lay her hands out flat. "Sora-kun," she said, her voice gentle, "don't hate your father. He did terrible things that day and there is no excuse for them, that much is true. But you should also understand that he still had a right to feel angry. Hold on to the precious few happy memories of him you still have."

Sora looked back out at the blue car. He could see the figure of his father sitting up and pretending to read a newspaper. He unfolded a small corner and looked straight at Sora.

_Oh man…I'm going to throw up…I'm gonna puke…_

But there was no turning back.

_No turning back…_

Gulping down the sour taste of bile in his throat, Sora snapped his fingers and gave the thumbs up sign. Then, he quickly said, "So, um, uh…I mean, uh…um…"

_Hurry up, damn it! Father's just beginning to load the gun!_

"What do you say we….um…I mean uh…"

_He's hiding the gun in his sleeve…_

Sora leaped up from the bench, ran over to the nearby fruit stand, and gave it a swift kick. This only spilled a few oranges onto the ground.

_He's aiming the gun..._

With a loud cry, Sora picked up a fruit crate and tossed it onto the ground, then kicked over another crate. While everyone stood and wondered what had gotten over him, Sora grabbed Nemuru by the wrist and said, "Hurry! Before they call the cops!"

"Sora-kun, what—" Nemuru barely had the question out of her mouth before Sora yanked her from the bench and ran towards the entrance, not once letting go of her.

Had he been paying more attention, however, he would've realized that another person had gotten into the car next to his father.

He would've seen that person yank down the newspaper and attempt to wrestle the gun out of his hand.

And he would've noticed that the gun was not pointed at its intended target.

But he only noticed these facts when a loud _BANG_ echoed across the market.

And Nemuru had not fallen to the ground, clutching her knee in agony.

She instead stood her ground and calmly said, "Thank you, Hiroshi."

"_Wh—what?"_ stammered Sora.

The car door burst open and Sakaki and Hiroshi tumbled out, the latter pinning the former to the ground. _"You!"_ declared Hiroshi. "Don't you _dare_ lay a hand on my _wife,_ you son of a—"

He was cut off by a punch to the face. Sakaki kicked him off and scoffed, "I see you've grown a pair of balls since we last met…_Hiroshi Kuzumi."_

… … …. ….. ….._crap._

Sora could only stand and shake, wondering what to do now. Run away? Beg for mercy? Kill Nemuru right there?

Sakaki stood up with his gun in hand and sighed, "Well, that didn't go as planned." With a grin, he turned in Sora's direction and said, "But thank you, Sora, for helping me get this far. I would've never been able to do this without you. You have been a most dutiful son."

A wave of gasps made Sora realize that everyone within five feet was staring at the scene.

More specifically, they were all staring at _him._

"You've served your purpose well," said Sakaki, aiming the gun at Nemuru. "For a moment, I thought you were going _soft_ on me, that you had chosen _her_ over your own _father._ I'm glad I was proven wrong. Congratulations on your betrayal."

He cocked the gun and pulled the trigger—

"_Oh no you don't!"_ cried out Hiroshi as he sprung up and kicked the gun out of Sakaki's hand.

"Let me handle this, Hiroshi," said Nemuru calmly. She stepped forward, let out a ferocious battle cry, and threw Sakaki against the car. She pinned him down and called out, "Hiroshi! Call the police! Hurry!"

Hiroshi ran off, leaving Sora to stand and witness the sight of his father kick Nemuru in the leg, then push her off and attempt to punch her in the face. Nemuru dodged the punch, leaped on top of the car, and positioned herself for another attack. Sakaki climbed onto the car and aimed for her face; once again, this punch went ducked, and he was the one to be knocked off the car instead.

"Father!" Sora cried out, but before he could run up to him to see if he was all right, Sakaki stood up, grabbed Nemuru by the ankle, and pulled her off the top, thrusting her to the hard ground. He stood on her face with one foot and sneered, "So tell me, Nemuru Kushinada…how does it feel to—"

He was cut off by another person popping out of the crowd and slamming him against the car once more. "I will absolutely not allow you to harm my dearest friends!" declared Kaname. She pushed her weight on top of Sakaki, who turned to Sora and seethed, _"Do something."_

Sora looked around the crowd and back over to his father. They had been caught, so was there really any good in _doing_ anything now? They might've succeeded if it hadn't been for Hiroshi's intervention. Was there still a chance to take their revenge? If they were going to jail, they might as well go down fighting, right?

Nemuru stood up with the help of another bystander. Just as Sora was wondering what to do next, he heard the sounds of police sirens. Kaname relaxed her grip on Sakaki, but this was a mistake; Sakaki wrestled her off and took off in one direction while Nemuru ran in the other.

Sora whipped around, wondering where he should go and whom he should follow. Should he go after his father so they could come up with another plan? Or should he go after Nemuru and somehow try to convince her to think nothing of what had just happened?

What would the use in _that_ be? She now knew he had lied.

And the entire town knew of his betrayal.

The world around Sora shook as he tried to move forward. But as he did, he noticed two people standing nearby. The last people in the world whom he had ever wanted to witness such a sight.

Kotara and Yuki.

Sora took a step towards them and called out, "Kotara-san? Yuki?"

He ran towards Kotara and said, "Hey, Kotara-san…"

Kotara took a step backwards. The expression on his face was unreadable. The closer Sora tried to get to him, the further Kotara stepped back.

"Um…how much of that did you see? Or hear?" Sora asked.

Now, Kotara's face formed an expression, and this expression spoke louder than any words he could say. He shook his head and ran off.

Sora turned to Yuki, whose eyes brimmed with tears. "Yuki…"

But she also took off.

Sora walked into the streets like a wooden soldier, never having felt such a conflict of emotions in his life. And through these emotions, he thought only one thing:

_What have I done?_


	10. Chapter 10

10

The further Sora wandered down the streets of Jouga, the less he could figure out where he was. Not that he had any idea of where he was going to begin with.

"_Congratulations on your betrayal."_

_Betrayal…_

Sora stopped and leaned against a nearby building, suddenly feeling an intense nausea. He closed his eyes and the first image that came to mind was the happy family of three—Hiroshi, Nemuru, and Haruka—from earlier that morning before he and Nemuru left. They looked like any another happy family and he almost ruined that. Haruka had smiled as she hugged her mother and he almost took that away from her.

Would Haruka be told about it when her parents went home? Would she understand any of it?

_Well…I guess there's no way they'll ever let me back, huh,_ Sora thought wearily. _I guess I should probably find the nearest bus and go back to my father's apartment and—_

"There he is!"

Sora opened his eyes to find a small mob of villagers headed towards him. His legs shook, but he forced himself to run. He made it as far as the end of the sidewalk before the mob blocked his path. He tried going in another direction, but once again, there were people who stood in the way.

"Trying to run after ambushing us, I see!" declared a man. "Just like your father!"

"N, no, I…"

"You're the son of the man who tried to destroy the village!" declared another man. "If you only came to lead the Kushinada's to their death, how do we know you're not also here to finish what your father started?"

"No, that's not what I—_AH!"_ Sora cried out as the first rock struck his arm. It was just a quick flash of pain, but that pain grew and spread as others began to throw an assortment of stones and rocks at him.

"Traitor!"

"Son of a killer!"

"Die for your father's sins!"

"Kill him!"

"Kill him!"

Sora collapsed to the ground and curled into a ball with his eyes scrunched closed, unable to block out the harsh pelting or the stinging words chanted around him. _I deserve this,_ he thought. _I betrayed the people who took me in._

"Kill him!"

"Monster!"

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

"_Stop this now."_

After several seconds, Sora realized that the chanting and stoning had stopped. He continued to lie down, afraid to open his eyes, his body aching.

Footsteps.

"Look at yourselves! See what you're doing to this poor child!"

A pair of hands gently helped him stand up on his feet and Sora opened his eyes.

His saviour was Nemuru Kushinada, who focused her furious gaze on the mob.

"Can't you see he is just a boy?" she said, her voice carrying for miles. "He was only four years old when Jouga was flooded. He wasn't even _in_ Jouga. He had nothing to do with this! Nothing! If his worst crime is being the son of the man who tried to tear us all apart, then he has committed no crime at all."

"He…he betrayed you and tried to…"

"Let _me _handle my own issues with him!" Nemuru said sharply. "Do not punish him for the sins of his father. I took away some of your most precious family members away from you. Would you punish my Haruka?"

Ashamed looks spread across the mob. "Then _go,"_ commanded Nemuru.

As the mob split up, Nemuru turned to Sora, and he looked away. "Sora-kun…"

Sora let go of Nemuru's hands and tried to run, but tripped. "Sora-kun," Nemuru repeated as she bent down beside Sora, "you're in no shape to run right now. I'll take you to a hospital just outside town to avoid the wrath of anyone else at the center."

She stretched out a hand to Sora. Realizing he had no other alternatives, Sora took it, wondering why she was doing this for him.

After all, she was supposed to be a monster.

Right?

* * *

><p>The waiting room was green and stunk of wet paint from down the hall. Today there were only a small handful of people waiting ahead, each quietly reading a magazine or sitting like a mannequin. If others were acting differently, Sora did not take care to notice. He was too busy looking at the floor and counting the floor tiles. It wasn't the most exciting way to pass the time, but it was better than looking <em>her<em> in the eye and talking to her. He couldn't even tell her he was fine waiting here by himself and that she did not need to sit beside him.

So far, he had counted twenty. Or had he skipped a tile or two?

Back to the beginning.

One…two…three…four…

"Sora-kun."

Sora stopped his mental counting but did not look up. "I will talk to one of my friends and see if you can stay with them for a short while to protect you from your father and the other villagers. You don't have to go back to school. I'll make sure your teacher understands the situation."

Sora's throat felt dry. Maybe he could excuse himself and get a drink of water…

"However," Nemuru went on, "I can't take you back in my home until I know I can trust you again."

Sora gulped a dry lump.

"I had figured out the truth since that day you had gone down to the river bed," Nemuru went on. "I was hoping that you might not be able to follow through after all—my husband and daughter could've been dragged into it, too. And when you lied to my face about your father being dead, I had a feeling that betrayal was inevitable. But still, part of me hoped you wouldn't follow through."

Sora looked up, but could only turn his gaze to the nearby mirror on the wall. This was a mistake, for it wasn't just the bruises and cuts on his face he could see.

He could see a striking resemblance between himself and the man in the photograph of that news article from eleven years ago.

Sora immediately turned away. "Sora-kun," said Nemuru, her tone a bit gentler, "don't be ashamed of your reflection."

This gave Sora the courage to look back over at her and say, "I'm sorry. It's just…my father is dying. I wanted to help him during his last days. I couldn't let him die without ever taking this revenge for his sake."

"He's dying?" said Nemuru, raising her eyebrows. "He looked very healthy for someone who's dying."

"Well, it was _just_ discovered and he wanted to get it over with before he got too weak, so…" Sora's voice faded. He bowed his head. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be making excuses, should I?"

"Sora Shinju-san?"

Sora looked up at the sound of the elderly assistant calling his name. "Do you need me to come along with you?" Nemuru asked.

Sora shook his head. "Nah. I'll be fine from here. Just wait outside."

* * *

><p>To Sora's immense relief, he recognized the doctor treating him for his injuries. It was Dr. Hashimoto, the family doctor. He remembered seeing him quite a bit for various, occasional childhood illnesses and ailments, and had seen him especially more often when his grandmother's health declined in her remaining years. His presence relaxed Sora as his injuries were disinfected and cleaned.<p>

"It's been a long time since I've seen you, Sora-chan," Dr. Hashimoto remarked as he wiped off the small remainder of blood on Sora's upper left arm. "How have you been?"

"Not very well," sighed Sora.

"Ah, I can see that," nodded Dr. Hashimoto. "What happened to you, if you don't mind my asking?"

"I'd rather not talk about it," said Sora. He paused. "Hey, Dr. Hashimoto…how bad is it?"

"Oh, you were banged up pretty badly, but you should be all right within a week or two as long as you get plenty of rest," said Dr. Hashimoto as he got out a new bandage.

"I mean my father," said Sora. "I know he has liver cancer. You said he only had three or four months, right? What kind of treatments will he need?"

A look of surprise flew across Dr. Hashimoto's face as he said:

"Liver cancer? Whatever do you mean? I saw your father the other day and he's in excellent health. Going off the drink was the best thing he ever did for himself."

…_What?...WHAT?_

"There. All done. Tell your father I said hi."

Trembling with his fist balled up, Sora said coldly, _"Oh I will."_

* * *

><p>Sakaki had anticipated the loud banging and knocking on his apartment door. "So they've finally caught up with me, huh," he sighed. "It's either the town police, or the Kushinada's. No matter, I'm prepared to deal with them both."<p>

He walked over to the door and opened it—only to be surprised to see Sora standing there. Beneath the few, cleaned-up bruises on his face, he wore an expression of pure _rage._

"Come in, come in," urged Sakaki. Sora wordlessly walked inside and the door was closed behind him. "So those monsters got to you, did they? Listen, for now you can hide here until we think of something else and—"

"Dr. Hashimoto says hi," said Sora, barely able to contain the sharp edge in his voice.

A cold silence befell the apartment. The two stood to collect their thoughts and think of what to say next. Finally, Sakaki said, "I wasn't going to mislead you forever. I would've told you after she was dead."

"And _what_ would you have told me?" said Sora, whipping around to face his father. "That you were _magically_ cured? That the results were mixed up? Or how about that you _lied_ about being sick to make me feel _obligated_ to go through with _your_ revenge?"

"I _had_ to do that!" Sakaki snapped as he stormed over to Sora. _"She_ was softening you up! _She_ was trying to make you forget about your _real_ purpose! Everything I did, I did it for your mother's sake, so don't you _dare_ try to—"

"You're not doing this for _mother, _you're doing this for _yourself!"_ accused Sora, pointing at Sakaki's face. "If my mother really was the kind, graceful angel you talked her up to be all my life, then she would've _never_ approved of killing for her sake, destroying a town for her sake, or betraying the people who took me in for her sake."

Sora's hand fell to his side as Sakaki scoffed, "I realize now that sending you to live with the Kushinada's was a mistake because it made you lose sight of your goal."

"You're wrong," said Sora, holding his ground. "Sending me to live with the Kushinada's was the best thing you ever did for me because I learned the truth about my mother's death. And you know what else I learned? That the _real_ monster is not Nemuru Kushinada but _you!_"

Sora realized he was screaming and lowered his voice but kept the same tone to it: "And you know what? _She_ was _twice_ the parent to me that you _ever _were!"

Before Sora could say anything else, a sharp sting flashed across his face and nearly knocked him off his feet, but he held onto the nearby kitchen counter for support. He trembled and stopped to catch his breath. Then, he turned to Sakaki, whose own palm was bright red. Sora traced the stinging mark across his cheek and said coldly, "Go ahead. Hit me again. Prove me right."

He met Sakaki's eyes, and immediately, the look within them changed. A look of shame and horror washed over Sakaki's face and he took a few steps back.

"I'm done with being your pawn," said Sora, letting go of the counter. "From now on, I'm permanently living with the Kushinada's."

He walked over to the door and opened t. He hesitated, waiting for Sakaki to try to talk him out of it, or to strike him again. When no such response came, Sora turned to Sakaki and said coldly:

"Farewell…Sakaki-san."

And with that, he left, not even bothering to close the door. Stunned, Sakaki walked over and closed it himself. He sat down in a nearby chair and put his face in his hands. When Sora had looked into his eyes, Sakaki was reminded of how much those eyes resembled Mieko's.

And it was as though he had struck Mieko.

_Mieko…now what do I do? I've spent the past eleven years living just to raise our child to avenge you. And now he's turned his back on me…where did I go wrong? Oh Mieko, where did I go _wrong?

Had he put too much emphasis on his revenge? Should he have tried to be an actual father to him?

No, of course he had been a father to Sora. He gave up drinking and smoking for his sake.

Or was it _really_ for his sake and not just to convince his mother to let him try being a father again so he could enact his revenge?

_What do I do….what do I do…where did I go wrong…where did I…if I don't take this revenge….then what can I do except just live?_

Live with the knowledge that he had driven his own son away from him?

Live with the fact that Mieko was gone?

Live with no one left?

No.

He couldn't do that.

He still had a reason for living.

And that reason was avenging Mieko's death.

And if he wanted his revenge done right…then he'd have to do it himself.


	11. Chapter 11

11

"Are you sure you'll be all right, Sora-kun?" asked Kaname as she and Nemuru helped Sora carry his suitcase and bag into her living room. Her house had only one story, yet plenty of room for two people. The living room was neat and tidy, with two couches surrounding the carpet and a small TV against the wall next to a bookshelf filled with books about the occult, urban legends, and folklore. Sora hoped he'd find these books of interest, or that there'd be something halfway decent on TV during the day, seeing how he'd be unable to do anything else for a while.

"I'll be fine," assured Sora as he plopped onto one of the couches with a weary sigh. "Today sure was eventful, wasn't it?"

"I'll say," remarked Kaname as she sat down next to Sora. "Your father didn't hurt you _too_ badly, did he?"

"Apart from this?" Sora gestured to the now faded handprint on his face. "Nah. Although," he turned to Nemuru, "Kushinada-san, when you get home tonight, you should be on your guard. I think my father might try to strike again—this time, on his own."

"Thank you for the warning, Sora-kun," said Nemuru. "When I get home, I'll try to sneak Haruka into the house of another acquaintance. But keep in mind that I will also keep my guard around you if you try to come back."

"I'm done with my father for good," said Sora firmly. Then, "Hey, Kushinada-san…would it be possible for me to stay with your family permanently once everything dies down?"

"As I said, it will take some time before I can trust you again," said Nemuru. She turned for the door. "But I might consider it."

* * *

><p>After the two had a warm, satisfying dish of ramen, Sora helped Kaname clean up the dishes. "Asagiri-san," he said as he turned on the tap, "you're not mad at me, too, are you?"<p>

"No, not really," sighed Kaname as she ran the empty soup bowls under the running water. "I'm just…disappointed. Part of me had been hoping you wouldn't go through with it, but I wasn't surprised when you did."

Sora turned off the tap and said, "I wish there was something I could do to atone for what I did."

"Well, you could start by apologizing to the people closest to you," suggested Kaname. She squirted a pint of liquid soap over the bowls. "I thought I heard you had a girlfriend or someone like that?"

Sora turned the tap on, then quickly shut it off and picked up a dishcloth. "I don't know her phone number, or my friend's number," he said as he wiped off the bowls.

"What are their names?" asked Kaname. "I might know them. I used to work at the library, remember?"

"Right," nodded Sora. He stacked the bowls together and said, "Do you know Kenji Kotara or Yuki Sohda?"

"Hmm…I'd have to check for Kotara-san's number, but I can give you Sohda-san's," said Kaname. "I can give it to you now, if you like."

"Yeah…yeah, that would be nice," said Sora, though he wondered what he should say to her.

* * *

><p>Sakaki tightened the black hood around his face with just enough space to see where he was driving. The entrance to Jouga would be on the next right and this time, he couldn't make any mistakes. The sun was setting further on the horizon and it wouldn't be long until the sky was completely black.<p>

"Prepare yourself, Kushinada," he muttered with a smirk. "This'll be an intense custody battle."

* * *

><p>Sora's fingers trembled as he dialled Yuki's phone number. "Maybe she's not home," he muttered. "Maybe she convinced her parents to move out 'cause she hates me so much."<p>

One dial tone…a second dial tone…a third dial tone…

"Hello?"

An older female voice spoke.

"Is Yuki Sohda there?" asked Sora.

"Who's calling?" said the woman.

"I'm a friend of hers from school," said Sora, twirling the phone cord.

"_Which_ friend?"

Before Sora could answer, he heard Yuki's voice say, "Mom, it's okay. If it's Sora-kun, it's fine."

"No it's _not_ fine," snapped the woman. "Do you know what his father—"

"I'm Sora Shinju," said Sora loudly. "I hope that isn't a problem?"

After a long pause, the woman sighed, "Here's Yuki."

Sora tapped the phone, then relaxed his hand when he heard, "Sora-kun?"

Sora gulped and said, "Good evening. Listen…about today…I know what you saw must've looked bad. And you'd be right to think about me what you probably thought today. I can't make any excuses. But hear this: After what happened, I cut off all ties from my father. I won't let him control me anymore. From now on, I'm my own person."

He laughed, "Kind of corny, isn't it? But anyway, I'm living here for good now. And as long as I'm here, I want you to know that I would never, ever try to hurt you or drag you into my father's plans. And…"

The words that should've been so easy to say snagged in his throat. The words that echoed what he had realized the night Yuki had kissed him, the words that he longed to say.

_Say something now, damn it, or else she'll hang up!_

"…I love you," Sora squeaked.

"So, Sora-kun," sniffled Yuki, "I…I've always…I mean…" She sighed, "I'm still a bit confused by today. Can you give me some time?"

"Su—sure," laughed Sora. "I'll give you all the time in the world. Well…bye."

He hung up, feeling as though he had just thrown up everything he ate.

* * *

><p><em>Is this the right street?...Damn it, I'll have to turn around. But I have to be careful to not be seen, or to run out of gas.<em>

…_Hmm, so if I make a turn over here…_

_Got it._

* * *

><p>As Sora lay in the guest bed, he heard the door open. Assuming it to be Kaname's husband, he rolled over on one side and closed his eyes. He had begun to drift off into a light sleep when he heard two people talking:<p>

"…Again, I'm really sorry for the inconvenience."

"Oh, it's no inconvenience to have Haruka-chan over."

"Why do I have to stay here?"

"It's not safe for you at home, Haruka-chan. It's a very complicated, grown-up issue between your mother and another man."

The voices grew lower, yet a nagging voice in Sora's head grew louder: What if tonight was the night his father would try to take his vengeance? What if Haruka was being dropped off because Nemuru somehow suspected this?

If there was nothing else he could do to atone for what he had done, then he had to do this.

Sora quietly slipped out of bed and used his pillows to create a fake body under the blankets. Then, he opened up the window, slipped out, and ran across the cool, dry grass to the car parked out front.

"Here goes nothing," Sora muttered as he opened up the back door. With one, quick look over both his shoulders, he slipped inside, closed the door, and curled up into a ball, concealed by the dark.

_What should I actually DO if I catch him before he gets to her?_ Sora thought. _What if I get there too late? Or what if he's not even there at all? What then? Should I just stay in here all night and be on my guard? But say he never comes and I'm stuck till morning. Then how will I make it back here without anyone noticing?_

Just as Sora was considering going back inside, he heard the front car door open and held his breath. There was no turning back now.

* * *

><p>The drive back to the Kushinada's pushed Sora's nerves to the limit. He tried to mentally calculate how far the drive was supposed to be and each time these calculations would be thwarted by every assumed red light and start-up, by every slow down and speed up. Each time, he'd have to fight back the urge to groan, "You kidding me!"<p>

_How long has he been driving for anyway?_ Sora thought, squirming. _It can't be THAT much farther, can it? At least Haruka-chan is safe._

He closed his eyes and let out a voiceless sigh, wondering when this would ever end. The car was slowing down, but he was probably just stopping at another—

The car completely stopped and the ignition was turned off.

Sora resisted the urge to get up. First, he'd have to wait for Hiroshi to get out and go inside. Then, he'd follow behind and try to search for any sign of Sakaki. His heart thumped at the thought of meeting _him_ again face-to-face with the intent to…to…

Do _something._

Sora shot up at the sound of pounding and yelling, "Open this door! If there's anyone inside, open up _now!"_

_Oh shit._

Sora burst the car door open and ran down the stony path to the doors where Hiroshi was banging his fist on repeatedly. "Kuzumi-san!"

Hiroshi spun around. _"Sora-kun?_ What—"

"He's probably here already," said Sora, looking for a way inside. "We have no time to waste."

"And how do you know that?" demanded Hiroshi. "Were you in on this plan, too?"

"No, but—look, I'm here to help," said Sora, wandering over to the right side of the house. "If we're quiet, we can probably sneak in and—"

"How do I know I can _trust_ you?" asked Hiroshi. "What if you're here to try again?" He sighed, "If you _really_ want to help, go get the police; _I'll_ find a way in."

"How about we get a neighbour to call the police, then go inside together?" suggested Sora. "On second thought, no—right now, everyone in this town is out for my blood. You go the neighbour's house, I'll go inside."

Hiroshi looked around the corner, then back at Sora. "No, let's go inside together," he said. "We'll call the police in there. I think we might be able to find a door to slide open if we look on this side."

* * *

><p>Once inside, the two stood in the dark in silence, adjusting their eyes and keeping an ear out for any sound. At the sound of a creak, Sora took Hiroshi aside by the hand and they hid around a corner, just in time for Sakaki to walk down the hall and right past them.<p>

Hiroshi and Sora turned to each other, nodded, and followed behind Sakaki from as far of a distance as they could manage without being heard or seen by him. They stopped. Sora waited several seconds before starting again.

It took him ten steps to realize that Hiroshi wasn't with him.

Alarmed, Sora spun around in the dark, realizing too late that Hiroshi must've either ducked into a room, or stayed behind. Knowing he couldn't go back to find him, Sora continued.

A door slid open.

Sora stood still against the wall.

A light flickered in the room Sakaki walked into.

"I knew you'd come."

_Kushinada-san…!_

"So you won't even _try_ to fight your inevitable fate, huh."

"I never said I wouldn't try. But not for _my_ safety. For the safety of my friends and family."

"Your family…you know, Sora told me you have a daughter. He also told me that he's living with you. Taking away my fiancée wasn't enough for you, was it? Now, you've taken my own _son_."

"I don't know what you're talking about. Sora-kun isn't here."

"_Liar!"_

A sharp slap. Sora held his breath and crept further towards the door, wondering if he should step in or not. Maybe she might talk him down from his rage and nothing would have to be done.

"He told me he's living with you for good. He also told me that _you_ blinded him and softened him."

"I did no such thing. I only hoped to let him know what happened."

"Kushinada…are you familiar with the saying "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth"? How about "a love for a love, a child for a child"? Wouldn't it be a real shame if something happened to your beloved Hiroshi?"

"Don't you even _think_ about—"

"Or what about your precious _Haruka?_ If she were caught in a tragic accident, it would be so _unfortunate,_ right?"

"No, please! She's not even _here!"_

"Then where is she?"

"You'll _never_ find her. I sent her out of Jouga and into the city."

"I think you're lying. I think she's somewhere nearby, and that she'll suffer so much worse because of your lies."

Someone fell to the floor. Sora could picture Nemuru on her hands and knees, trembling. "I'll do anything! Kill _me_ instead! Take away my fortune, my house, my life, just not my daughter!"

"Then how about your husband? In exchange for sparing your daughter's life, I'll kill your husband. How does that sound to you?"

"…Please. I'll do anything…don't take either of them from me…please…"

Sobbing broke out. Sora inched closer and closer until he was next to the room itself, nose-to-nose with the slid-open door.

"Ha. Just look at yourself…only fifteen years ago I was no different than you were. I would've done anything to bring Mieko back. And now, seeing you like this makes me glad I didn't kill you right away. I hope you _suffer_ before you die."

"I'm…I'm sorry…nothing I say can ever make you forgive me, I know that. You might still leave tonight with anger in your heart. But please, leave the ones I love out of this! They had nothing to do with what happened fifteen years ago!"

Her voice lacked dignity and composure. Sora did not hear the Nemuru Kushinada he knew. He heard a desperate woman in tears who feared she could lose everything. He took a risk and peered around the corner. Nemuru was on her knees, bowing before Sakaki, her body shaking with every sob she took. Sakaki stood above her, smirking in triumph. Neither noticed Sora.

"So you'll do _anything_ to spare the lives of the ones you love, hmm?" said Sakaki, his smirk growing wider.

Nemuru drew a deep breath and, though shaking, stood up. Her face tear-soaked, she gulped and whispered, "Please…take my life and just mine alone. Promise that after you kill me, you'll leave everyone else alone. Don't go after my husband or my child…or my friends…or anyone else in the village. And please, let your son live a normal life. Don't drag him into this any further."

She bowed her head and Sora took this as his cue to step in. He tried to call out to them, but just like a few hours before with Yuki, the words caught in his throat.

What would anything _he_ said do to stop this? Sakaki was enjoying himself and Nemuru didn't even try fighting her fate. He couldn't convince his father to step down. He couldn't convince Nemuru she didn't have to do this.

Not noticing anything other than his target of revenge, Sakaki pulled out the gun from his pocket.

_I have to do something…_

"I can't say I'll keep my promises." He aimed the gun at Nemuru's heart.

_But…but…_

"But seeing you grovel was worth it." He cocked the gun.

_I…I…._

"Farewell, Nemuru Kushinada." His finger moved to the trigger.

_I must do something now!_

He pulled the trigger…

* * *

><p>Sakaki should've seen it coming.<p>

He should've predicted it the moment Sora had declared Nemuru Kushinada to be twice the parent he had ever been.

And yet, he hadn't.

He had realized it right after he had pulled the trigger.

Right after seeing another person fly right in front of Nemuru Kushinada and knock her down to the floor.

But the moment he had finally realized it was when his son lay on the floor inches away from Nemuru, lying in a small yet growing pool of blood.

"So…Sora? _Sora!"_ Sakaki cried out. He threw the gun aside and threw himself down next to Sora. He pulled the boy into his arms and shook him, pleading, "Sora, stay awake! Stay awake! Don't close your eyes, don't…!" He stopped when he realized his sleeve was coated with the blood of his son.

"Mmph…uh…" Sora's eyelids drooped further and further down.

"No! No! Stay with me! Stay!" Sakaki begged.

Sora let out a long, weary breath and closed his eyes.

"Don't leave—don't—So…ra…" Sakaki sobbed.

"Sora…kun…" whispered Nemuru, her eyes watering.

"_Don't just stand there!"_ shrieked Sakaki. _"Call an ambulance!"_

Sakaki barely heard Nemuru getting up to leave. He could only focus on the sight of an unconscious, bleeding Sora.

"I did this," he sobbed as he cradled Sora in his arms. "I did this…"


	12. Chapter 12

12

"Paging Dr. Nanjo, Dr. Nanjo please report to Room 204…"

"…man, I can't wait to get home to the wife and kids after this shift…"

The only sounds between Nemuru and Sakaki, who sat a few seats apart, were the various conversations between patients and doctors, the occasional intercom announcement, and people bustling around the hospital of Jouga, otherwise known as the "center". It had been an hour since they had arrived in the ambulance with a grievously wounded Sora. The doctors had said he had a fifty-fifty chance of living as long as someone came through with a blood transfusion. Sakaki had volunteered, but it would take some time before seeing if it was a success or not.

Sakaki knew he would be arrested and sent to jail within a few hours, but for now, he hoped to stick around long enough to see if Sora would pull through the night or not. He leaned his head against the wall, closed his eyes, and thought back to Mieko, as he always did. If only Mieko were alive, this wouldn't be happening.

But no matter how much he tried to pin the blame on the Kushinada's in his mind, in the end, it ultimately came back to _him._ If only he had just turned around and seen Sora…if only he had waited just a few more seconds…if only he hadn't pulled the trigger…then the only part of Mieko he had wouldn't be teetering between life and death.

Sakaki opened his eyes at the sound of footsteps and saw one of the doctors that had been in the ambulance. He up straight as the doctor said, "Kushinada-san. Sakaki-san. May I speak to both of you?"

The two stood up and walked over to the doctor, who took them both aside. "The transfusion was a success, and the bullet has been removed," the doctor said quietly. "But he's not out of the woods yet. There is still a chance he could develop an infection, or there might be other unforeseen complications. He'll be kept at the hospital for a few days for observation. Right now, he's resting."

A group of doctors ran past the three and the phone at the reception desk rang. "Would it be possible for us to see him?" asked Nemuru.

The doctor eyed Sakaki. "Perhaps," he said.

* * *

><p>Sora lay still in the bed, his chest moving up and down, his eyes closed. Sakaki and Nemuru sat in wooden, stiff chairs and waited for any sudden movement from the boy. Yet he continued to lie and sleep as though he had run many, many miles and needed to rest.<p>

At last, Sakaki spoke, his voice broken:

"It's over."

Nemuru thought about her reply and said, "What exactly is 'over'? Your grudge against me? Your grudge against the entire town? Or just your revenge plot? Or is it something else…"

"My revenge," said Sakaki, his head low. "I'm done with it." He held Sora's hand.

"I understand," said Nemuru. "I also understand if it takes you years before you can move past what happened back then."

Sakaki stroked Sora's hand, which felt like ice. "He said you were twice the parent that I ever was."

"Did he now?" said Nemuru quietly, observing the sleeping boy's face.

Sakaki nodded. "And do you think there's any truth to that?" Nemuru asked.

Sakaki hesitated. Then, he said, "Leave us alone. Let me have this last moment with my son before I go."

Without protest, Nemuru stood and walked over to the door. She walked out, but closed it by a few inches and stood nearby. She'd also stay for as long as she could before leaving to tell Haruka that she could go home.

* * *

><p>Sakaki woke up with a start. He was still at the hospital still holding Sora's hand. The sky outside was a hazy purple. How long had he been asleep for? Did that even matter?<p>

He traced his finger across Sora's wrist. He still had a steady pulse, but it felt a bit slow. Or was Sakaki still a bit tired? With a heavy sigh, he continued to sit and think back to Mieko once more. In many ways, Sora owed his existence to her. This was obviously true, given that Sora had to have had _someone_ to bring him into the world. But it was true in more ways than just that alone. It had been Mieko who had suggested the two return to Sakaki's apartment on that fateful summer evening. She had wanted to take the night one step further. And when the two learned of her pregnancy, she had been reluctant to go along with the "alternatives" he had proposed—"it's _because_ I don't want to get rid of it that this is so hard" she had admitted—and had suggested ways they could make parenthood work.

And there was nothing Sora could do to repay her, apart from just living.

Sakaki remembered that day Mieko had taken him aside on campus to show him something. He had no idea what she wanted him to see, but it should've been so obvious: She smoothed out the front of her blouse to show the small bump on her stomach that had begun to grow. That bump he had never even noticed when he greeted her that morning, or when they went to their classes together; just when she pointed it out to him.

"So…I guess this means we'll have to tell our parents, doesn't it?" was the only thing he could say. He had felt no excitement or joy, just dread over how much more difficult and complicated their lives were about to become. He never considered abandoning Mieko, not even for a second, but the prospect of fatherhood right then had not appealed to him in the slightest. In contrast, Mieko was glowing as she replied, "Yeah, I guess it does."

Perhaps she had been as frightened as he had been and had just taken a more optimistic approach. Or perhaps this was a sign she would've been the much better parent than him had she lived.

He looked back on the day Sora was born. When his first cry broke out and the doctor announced "It's a boy!", it had been as though he were in a dream. He couldn't actually be _here,_ cutting the cord, cleaning off the gunk, or handing tissues over to a crying yet smiling Mieko. This child, no bigger than the smallest watermelon, had to be an illusion. This was someone else's life had had to be watching over, not his own. Weren't he and Mieko still waiting for the next contraction to be over and done with? Weren't they still talking about what kind of wedding they would have?

But when Sora was placed into his arms, that small bundle in a blanket, his hair dark as his father's, his eyes open and curious…that was when he realized he was a father.

And he vowed to protect him.

And now Sora was lying in a hospital bed because of him, looking as peaceful in his sleep as he had when he was a baby.

Tears fell and splashed on Sora's hand. _I'll do anything…just spare him, please,_ Sakaki thought, clutching the hand tighter. _I'll give up my revenge if it'll spare his life…just please…don't take him from me, too…please…._

Outside, the sky grew lighter as the sun began to rise. Sora's eyelids fluttered open and he looked over at Sakaki. "…fa…ther…?"

Sakaki gasped and let go of Sora's hand. For a moment, neither spoke. There was so much that needed to be said, but they didn't know how to say them or where to start.

"Father…I…"

For the first time in eleven years, Sakaki pulled Sora in for a hug. "Er…father…?" asked Sora, wondering what to make of this sudden gesture.

Sakaki hugged Sora tighter and whispered:

"It's over."

* * *

><p><em>Four months later<em>

"I would like to propose a toast to the bride and groom!"

The wedding guests sat around the table, their dishes neatly prepared and smelling delicious, their wine glasses raised. "For a time, I was reluctant to leave home even after I got married," Hiroshi began, "because I worried that my sister would still need me. Even after she and my father convinced me to move out, I still worried about her. But now, as I stand before her and her husband, I realize that she is an independent woman."

His voice broke, but he continued: "I toast to my sister."

The glasses met with a clank. As Sora took a sip of the water he had been given, he looked at some of the other guests around the table. Makoto was sitting in Isuzu's lap, resting his head on the table, his eyes closed. Isuzu was turning to Kaname and chatting with her while Kaname burped baby Cho over her shoulder. Nemuru and Hiroshi were sitting together smiling and chatting while Haruka sat next to Sora and looked up at him with big, wondrous eyes.

"Onii-san," said Haruka, "I heard mama tell papa that you might be allowed back home again soon. Will you come back for good?"

"Oh, I just might," said Sora, cutting up his steak. "I just needed to take care of my issues first."

Just then, Yuki came running back into the reception hall, her face flushed, her hand trembling as she attempted to balance the wine glass in one hand and the freshly-picked daisies in the other. She smiled as she approached Sora and sat next to him.

"Sorry I took so long," Yuki apologized as she placed the glass down. "I forgot where I hid my surprise for you, so…" She gave Sora the daisies and laughed, "Surprise!"

Sora took them, smiled, and said, "Thanks, Yuki-chan." He leaned over with the intention to kiss her on the cheek, but because she moved at the same time, he instead kissed her on the lips.

The kiss lasted for a few seconds before the two broke off, their faces growing warm as Makoto giggled. But still, having a girlfriend was nice. Heck, just having a regular social life was nice.

"Oi you two! Don't you know there are kids watching?" Kotara cried out as he hurried over to the pair.

"Yes, yes, I get it, I get it," laughed Sora, throwing up his hands. As he began to eat his dinner, he thought about how he should feel grateful that he had been allowed to invite Yuki and Kotara to Mana's wedding. Or that _he_ had been allowed to come at all.

Over the past few months, Sora had been struggling to regain the trust of not only the Kushinada's, but everyone else in Jougamachi as well. When news broke out that he had saved Nemuru Kushinada's life at the risk of losing his own, the hostility died down. However, he was still mistrusted and eyed with suspicion.

He had returned to school a week after he had been released from the hospital. As expected, many of his classmates were reluctant to approach him. The only ones who spoke to him outside of small favours were Kotara and Yuki. Kotara's justification had been that he had spent the past week thinking about what had happened and that while it would take him a while to fully trust Sora again, for now he would just provide him with some company. Yuki had said nothing and just smiled shyly.

And as for his father…right now, he was awaiting his trial. Sora had considered not giving him the time of day ever again until he had been told by Nemuru how worried he was when Sora was in the hospital, and how he had gone as far as to donate his own blood to save his life.

"However angry you may feel, please don't hate your father," she had said. "He may have lied about his health to your face, but that look in his eyes after he shot you…no, that look could never be faked."

Sora had paid occasional visits to his father and told him about how things were going back in Jouga. Sometimes, his father would get a far-off, bittersweet look in his eyes, but Sora never questioned it.

On his last visit, which had been the day before Mana's wedding, his father had told him that it would take years before he could forgive any of the Kushinada's, but he might seek help while in prison. "Let's not kid ourselves," he had said. "We both know I'm going to prison for a long, long time, and it could be years before I get out…if ever."

Before Sora had left, his father had one more thing to say to him:

"Sora…if you have children someday, make your own mistakes. Don't repeat mine."

To this, Sora had smiled and said:

"Goodbye, father."

Now, as Sora sat at the table, watching everyone gathered laughing and chatting, he smiled. The peaceful, calming atmosphere gave him a feeling that from this point on, everything would be uphill. No more lying. No more secrets. Just the truth and happiness.

Nemuru stood up, tapped on her wine glass with a spoon, and said, "Everyone, I would like to make a toast."

With everyone's eyes on her, Nemuru went on: "Over the past several months, I have learned a great deal about the importance of family and loyalty. I've always held the ones I love closest to my heart—my husband, my daughter, and my friends. And now, the events from a few months ago have affirmed that love."

She turned in Sora's direction and announced, "I am pleased to welcome Sora Shinju back into my home starting next week. Here is to family."

With a clink of the glass and swig of the water, Sora felt an overwhelming joy spread in his heart. For now, after so many years of not knowing where his duties in life lay, he had found a family he truly belonged in.

**THE END**

* * *

><p>AN: And so ends my first OK multi-chaptered fic. I must be totally insane to write a fanfic for the friggin' anime (guilty pleasures aside). I must be even crazier to keep writing it, and then completing it, despite having no reviews. But I like to think that this taught me a lesson in self-motivation. To those who actually did read it…thank you.


End file.
